My Brother's Keeper
by Lady Kogawolf
Summary: Being in a fraternity is not exactly what Inu Yasha expected. His friendship with the friendly, but heavy Kagome, put his place with his brothers in danger. However, after a summer that she will never forget, Kagome returns and makes waves within the frat
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my new fic and I hope you like it. I am using not only IY, but also YYH and FY characters. Also, in Winds Of Change, someone took offense to my portrail of Kagome in earlier chapters, so let me just say that in the next chapter, you will like what she becomes, so no getting upset because she is heavy. Please review.

This is a Sess/Kag fic and he is the only male she will be intimate with. Also, I don't own the characters. Fic is rated for language.

* * *

A loud knocking awoke him and he grumbled about how sorry he was going to make the asshole who dared to wake him up. But, he then yelled for Kagome and knew that she would answer the door. It was either she answer the door, or come and bail him out of jail. Again.

Sure enough, he heard the door open and heard her cheery voice. As he slowly drifted off, he became aware that there was a soft knock on his door and lifted his head when he heard the door open.

"Inu Yasha, your brothers are here." Kagome said, a bright smile plastered upon her lips. She entered his room and made her way to the side of his bed, her dark eyes watching him as he slowly sat up.

"All of them?" He asked, yawning. "Yep. Including your real brother." She replied. She motioned for him to hurry up and then murmured, "I better get Kouga up as well. They want to see him, too."

Once she was gone, he stood up and grabbed up a pair of boxers that was lying beside his favorite picture of Kikyo, his girl. Smiling down at her picture, he quickly got dressed and then walked out of his room, nearly colliding with Kouga, who looked just as sleepy as he felt.

"What's going on? Kagome said that the guys are here." He said as he rubbed his bright, blue eyes.

"Who the fuck knows. We better find out what they want, though." Inu Yasha replied. He and Kouga moved into the living room to find their fraternity brothers sitting on the furniture, the looks upon their faces revealing their anger at being made to wait.

"Finally. Let's get the fucking show on the road." Yusuke snapped, his dark eyes glaring over at the president of their faternity, Hotohori.

Nodding, Hotohori was about to speak, but Kagome walked into the room and smiled at Inu Yasha. "I'm going out. Talk to you later, ok?" She asked. When her roommate nodded, she smiled at the group of young men and then walked to the door and left the apartment.

At first, the room remained quiet, but then Bankotsu snickered and said, "Oink, oink. Damn, does that girl not know what the fuck a diet is?"

Standing up, Kouga snapped, "What the fuck is your problem? She is a nice girl and hasn't done a damn thing to you. Leave her alone."

Renkotsu lifted an eyebrow. "So, does this mean that you are in love with the pig, er, girl?" He asked, his tone smug.

Kouga's cheeks reddened. "Of course not. I don't do heavy girls, but she is my friend. So, leave her alone." He snapped as he sat back down.

Sesshomaru glared at the two males and then stood up. "Your fat roommate is not why we are here. We are here to discuss the coming years rush."

Hotohori nodded. "Indeed. We need to make sure that we get men who come from successful families or who have great potential to join us. And, we need to make sure that we do nothing to tarnish our image."

"That means not hanging around certain fat pigs." Bankotsu said, a large grin upon his lips as he stared over at Kouga.

Inu Yasha stood up, but was quickly silenced when Miroku said, "I am afraid that he is right. We can't have our image tarnished, not even by someone as nice as Kagome. We have spoken about this in length and have decided that for the rest of this year, the two of you may room with her, but next year, she will have to find other accommodations."

"I thought you were a friend of hers, Miroku? Your girlfriend, Sango, is her best friend. How could you do this to her?" Inu Yasha demanded, his golden eyes flashing angrily. Because they were cousins, he could just bet that his precious Kikyo was going to throw a fit.

"I love Kagome, but my loyalty lies with my brothers, as should yours. Sango knows about it. She loves Kagome as well, but Kagome simply doesn't care about how she looks to others and has often embarrassed Sango when they are out in public. Sadly, Sango's sisters, your own girlfriend included, has also ruled Kagome as undesirable, and so, Sango will be ending her friendship with Kagome this afternoon." Miroku replied. "In fact, that is where Kagome was heading. Sango called her to ask her to meet her at the campus restaurant."

As he slid down to sit next to Kouga, Inu Yasha wondered how in the hell he was going to explain things to Kagome. He knew how sensitive she was and this was going to hurt her. Thankfully, he had the summer and next school year to do it, but how in the fuck was he going to tell her that she was going to have to leave his life? It hurt too much to think about it, so he turned his attentions to what Hotohori and Naraku were saying and blocked the girl from his mind. At least, for now.

* * *

Kagome stood outside the apartment with tears streaming down her face. She heard every word, every comment, and knew that if she stayed, she would burst into the apartment and make things so much worse.

Instead, she turned and walked down the stairs and headed towards her car. As she passed by one of the other cars, she looked at her reflection in the passenger's window and allowed herself to look, really look, at herself and for the first time, she saw what everyone else did.

She was nearly sixty pounds overweight and had always been a heavy girl. She just liked to eat. Her mother loved to eat, as well. She was a great cook and loved trying out new dished, but now, she could see that her love of food and dislike of exercise had taken its toll.

Biting her lip, Kagome shuffled over to her car and climbed in. She was supposed to meet Sango, but now, she simply did not wish to see the girl. So, she decided to drive and think. Thankfully, the semester had just ended and she could take the summer and make some very serious decisions.

Many of them would be difficult, but they needed to be done. She drove for nearly three hours before coming up with a plan and drove to the park to begin taking action. When she parked, she reacked for her phone and dug deeply, looking for her cell phone. When she found it, she pulled it out and took in a deep breath. She dialed a number and waited for the caller to pick up.

"Hi, Aunt Kaede. It's me, Kagome. I was wondering if I could come and visit you and Uncle Myoga." She said, her voice wobbling. She explained to her aunt what was going on and was happy to hear that her aunt would be delighted to see her for the summer. By the time she was through, Aunt Kaede promised, she would be a new person.

Happy that at least one thing went right, Kagome hung up and then dialed the number for the airport. She quickly made a reservation and paid for it by using her credit card. Normally, she would not have spent so much money, but this was important and she was not willing to stay where she was not wanted.

Once she was sure that her flight was booked, she rushed back to the apartment and noticed that Kouga and Inu Yasha were gone. She scribbled a quick note, explaining that she was leaving for the summer and would be back in time for registration. Since it was Inu Yasha's father who paid the bills, she didn't have to worry about the rent, so all she had to do now was pack and call a cab.

After two rushed hours, Kagome found herself in a cab and on her way to the airport. As the buildings rushed by, Kagome found herself wondering in which direction would her life take? Aunt Kaede mentioned that she was going to put her on a strict diet and that meant that Kagome would have to learn how to love fruits and vegetables. She would probably also make her exercise. Well, anything was better than being talked about behind her back.

Soon, she was on the airplane and on her way to her new life. Hopefully, it would be better than the one she had.

* * *

It was early in the morning when Inu Yasha let himself and Kouga into the apartment. They had spent the night before dancing the night away with their frat brothers and the girls from a popular sorority. Sango told them that Kagome never showed and though he was a bit worried, Kikyo murmured that Kagome probably found some new fast-food restaurant and decided to check it out. And, of course that statement brought more cruel and hateful comments from several of the others who were seated at their table.

So, when they returned home, they were shocked to find that Kagome was not there. At first, both simply stared at each other before Kouga took in a deep breath and asked, "You think she got lucky?"

Shaking his head, Inu Yasha murmured, "No, sleeping around is more Kagura and Yura's style. Kagome would not go in for that kind of thing."

His eyes traveled over the bedroom, and caught on a note that was propped up on her computer desk. He quickly moved towards it and snatched it up. Scanning the note, he let out a sigh of relief and motioned for Kouga to look at the note.

"Well, it seems that Kagome decided that she needed to pay a visit to her aunt." He said, his voice revealing his relief.

Kouga let out a breath. "Thank God. I was starting to worry. Well, the note says that she is going to be gone until registration, so now we won't have to deal with the guys making nasty comments about her."

"Yeah, that's good. But, I wonder why she didn't mention why she was leaving? And, why did she stand Sango up?" Inu Yasha wondered, his hand raking through his long, silver hair.

Shrugging, Kouga replied, "Don't know. Well, now that I know where Kagome is, I am going to bed. See ya later, man."

Shaking his head, Inu Yasha allowed the note to slip from his fingers and into the trashcan that sat beside Kagome's desk. A frown was upon his handsome face and he could not help but feel a bit uneasy about her abrupt departure. Something upset her. Did she hear the conversation after she left the apartment? What if she forgot something and heard them? He knew how sensitive she was about her weight.

Shaking his head, he walked to the door and opened it. He walked into his own room and undressed, but his mind was still upon Kagome. If she called, he would question her. He didn't want her feelings hurt, his frat brothers be damned.

As sleep claimed him, he sighed. What a fucking way to start the summer.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Let me begin by saying that this fic is probably the one that is closest to my heart. As someone who has battled weight gain and lost it, I know how hard it is to do. So, please enjoy the fic and I hope you come to love it just as much as I do, if not more.

* * *

It seemed as though it had all been a really bad dream. All she could remember now was the whispers behind her back, the snickering when she lifted her fork to her mouth, and the stares as she walked from her classes.

When she arrived at her aunt's home, Aunt Kaede's eyes narrowed and she quickly told her that she would not be eating the junk here as she did at home. Thus began her slow journey to a healthier life.

At first, her new diet was hard. Aunt Kaede fed her fish, fresh fruits and veggies, chicken, and a lot of beans. There were many nights that she went to bed hungry, and angry. Angry at Aunt Kaede for forcing this hellish diet on her, and angry at herself for putting herself in this situation.

The weight didn't leave as quickly as she hoped. In fact, there were many days that she would step on the scale and burst into tears because she hadn't lost anything. Aunt Kaede patiently explained that while she was losing fat, she was gaining muscle and that muscle weighted more than fat. She explained that it was not about the numbers, but about how her clothing fit.

Her aunt started her on an intense exercise program and hired a personal trainer for Kagome. At first, she thought her aunt had lost her mind. Her trainer, an old man named Totosai, began teaching her different exercises that would not only help her loose mass, but help her tone and strengthen her body.

After the first month, she noticed that her pants fit better and were loose in the legs. Stunned, she showed her aunt and grinned when her aunt told her that she had also lost some of her double chin.

As the time neared for her to return to college, Aunt Kaede asked Kagome if she would consider staying through the semester. It would give her time to think about things and strengthen her mind as well as her body. After thinking on it for a day, Kagome called Inu Yasha and told him that she would not be coming back for the semester; that she needed some time off and would appreciate it if he would hold her room.

He, of course, agreed. He didn't say it, but she could tell that he was relieved. His brothers were probably nagging him about getting rid of her and this bought him more time. So, with her housing taken care of, Kagome happily told her aunt that she would stay.

As she lost her weight, Kagome met two young women and quickly became friends with them. Amazingly, she found that she had more in common with them than she did with Sango and Kikyo, her own cousin.

Keiko was a very quiet and nice girl who had a temper when provoked. She sheepishly admitted to Kagome that she liked bad boys. With her pretty light brown hair and large eyes, Kagome was shocked that she didn't have a boyfriend, but Keiko simply said that she was picky and that when she met the right guy, she would know it.

Miaka, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of Keiko. She was loud, friendly, outgoing, and loved to eat. Kagome quickly found out that taking Miaka out to a restaurant that did not have a buffet would be deadly to one's wallet, so she and Keiko would often convince Miaka to go to the local buffet restaurant whenever they went out to eat.

Both girls joined her on her exercises and they could often be seen huffing and puffing together as they jogged or did pilates. Both girls told her that they, too, needed to lose weight and were excited when they reached their own goals.

Fate, however, decided that it was about to reward her for all of her hard work. She finally lost all of the weight and was stunned to find that underneath the excess weight was a very attractive woman. So attractive that on a trip to the mall with her friends, she was approached by a young man who worked for a very prestigious modeling firm.

Miaka and Keiko forced her to go with the young man and watched gleefully as she had photos taken of her. Once done, the young man explained that he wanted the owner of the firm to look them over, and that he would be in touch soon.

Soon came two days later. As she was finishing up with her chores, the phone rang and it turned out to be the young man. He laughed as he explained that the owner of Koenma's Models loved her photos and wanted her to model for him.

Within a day, she found herself in front of a camera and posing in different positions. He continued to tell her that she had to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever worked with, and she had to stop herself from glaring at Keiko and Miaka when they burst into laughter at the man's antics.

But, not everything was fun. She made herself examine events in her life and realized that she had been lying to herself for a very long time. If they were her true friends, Inu Yasha, Kouga, and Sango, would never have allowed people to talk badly about her, but instead, they sat by and let their friends drag her through the mud and laugh at her behind her back. None of them had ever been fat. In fact, all three of them were athletes.

Kouga was a runner. His lean, lithe body had no visible fat anywhere and he was often seen with girls who sported the same look. Inu Yasha lifted weights and played football. He was nicely built and she often heard Kikyo talk about how it felt to run her hands over his defined stomach as they kissed. Sango was a runner, like Kouga. She kept her body fit and trim by lifting weights and watching what she ate.

These people had no idea just how hard her life as a heavy woman was. They never walked in her shoes, nor did they understand that she felt as though she were a prisoner in her own skin, doomed to spend her life watching all the fun, but never being invited to join in.

The sad fact of the matter is that people simply do not stop and consider that others are heavy for different reasons. They never considered that perhaps something happened in the person's life to cause them to eat, or perhaps it had nothing to do with food, but body chemistry or emotions.

It took a while, but she finally realized that these people were not her friends. They tolerated her. They used her to help them with their studies. They smiled at her face, but laughed behind her back.

But, out of all of them, it was Sango who pissed her off the most. She knew what all had happened in Kagome's life, but simply ignored her until she needed something. Whenever she would call, it would take nearly a week for Sango to return her call, and then Sango would often cut the conversation short, as if even talking to her took a great effort on her part. As if she were doing her a favor by talking to her.

There were times when Sango and Kikyo would go out to lunch with her and they would harp on what she ate, telling her that she was only going to get fatter, then they would eat the exact same things and smile. Now she knew why Sango and Kikyo would always insist on a corner booth. They simply didn't wish to be seen in public with her.

Well, who the hell needed that? Now that her body and mind were healthy, she understood that she didn't need those people. Now, she was beautiful. Now, her body was just as strong and desired. Now, she was getting the same looks and compliments as Sango and Kikyo. And, to top it all off, she now had a contract with the largest modeling firm in Japan.

But, the time for returning to college was getting closer, and though she was thrilled to find that Keiko and Miaka would be joining her, she could not help but feel a bit apprehensive about returning to the apartment. In fact, she began to feel sick. She didn't want to face them.

Aunt Kaede understood. She knew what it was like to be made fun of. She lost her eye when she was just a little girl, and was made fun of during her youth. It was her Uncle Myoga who protected her. Coward in many things, in the protection of his wife, he was quite fierce. It was her uncle who suggested that he and his wife pay for an apartment for her and her friends.

At first, she declined. But, with some urging from her aunt, she finally relented and told Keiko and Miaka that they didn't have to room in the dorms; they had their very own bachelorette pad. Soon, they registered with the college and picked out their classes online. All that was left was to buy their books and they would do that the day after they moved into the apartment. The time flew by and between hanging out with her friends and working, she found herself stunned when the day she had to return arrived.

It was hard to leave them. Her aunt and uncle gave her a new life and now, she was leaving and had to learn how to fly with her own wings. But, at least she knew what to do and how to do it so that the weight would stay off. As they drove to the airport, Kagome looked down at the paper in her hand and smiled. Within a week, Keiko and Miaka would join her and they would move into their new apartment. The only down side was that the new apartment was in the same complex as her old one. It was the only complex that had three bedrooms.

After saying her goodbyes and giving a promise to call often, she found herself in the terminal and waiting to be checked in. A large commotion claimed her attention and when she turned her head, she noticed that a cameraman was pointing his camera at her, and another man was talking into his microphone.

Giving the man with the camera a smile, she turned and walked up to the desk. Once she was checked in, she walked to her gate and waited patiently for the time to board. She was well aware of the looks that she was receiving from both men and women, and she did her best not to blush. All of this attention was still very new to her and she was still getting used to her new and attractive body.

She could not wait to get home. She needed a hot shower and a great night's sleep. Tomorrow was a new day and she was ready to pounce on whatever came her way.

* * *

Bankotsu snorted and placed the picture frame face down on the end table. He made a face and snapped, "Why in the hell haven't you gotten rid of her fucking pictures? She isn't here and looking at her fat ass makes me sick."

Inu Yasha let out a harsh sigh. "This is her apartment, too. She has every right to display her pictures. Now, can we get on with the meeting? Please?" He begged, his golden eyes pleading with Hotohori.

The tall, elegant man nodded. "Yes. Bankotsu, if the photos bother you, don't look at them. Your jokes about Kagome's weight are growing old. We all know that she is a young lady who is slightly heavy, so there is no need for you to keep commenting on it. Now, I believe that Sesshomaru has something he would like to say." Hotohori said as he settled back into his chair.

Sesshomaru stood up. He looked around and narrowed his eyes. "As we all know that we are the most powerful and popular fraternity on campus, but we still do not have our own house. I have remedied that. Mine and Inu Yasha's father has agreed to pay for new fraternity house, but under the condition that we will revert to the old ways of selecting our members."

The men in the room glanced at each other and grinned. In the old days, selecting members included a harsh screening process and included a very harsh "hell week". This was going to be fun.

Hotohori stood up and called for a vote. Nodding once everyone had voted, he announced, "Very well. We will return to the old ways and heaven help those who want to join us."

The men laughed, but were quickly silenced when Hiten shouted for everyone to be quiet. He grabbed the remote and hit the button that would unmute the television. He muted it when the meeting started, but kept his eyes glued on the set, watching eagerly for the scores for his favorite sports teams.

The news reporter was clearly an entertainment reporter, and was speaking about a model who was quickly being recognized as possibly the most beautiful woman in the world.

"This young woman, who is being called Kags by Koenma Models, has been labeled as this century's "Helen Of Troy". For our viewers who are not familiar with the legends, it was said that in the times of the Greek gods, Helen of Troy was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world and that it was because of her that a great battle was fought. Now, this young woman behind me has claimed the title and I must say, she deserves it." The reporter said, his tone dripping with lust.

The camera focused in on the woman named Kags, and when she turned and smiled at the camera, Hiten slumped in his seat and whistled.

"Damn. What I wouldn't give to be her man. Did you see her eyes? Fuck, that woman is the kind a guy would kill for." He said, his red eyes trained upon her form.

Inu Yasha felt a blush spread across his cheeks. Thankfully, Kikyo wasn't there, or else she would probably smack him due to the fact that another woman made him hard. The girl was sexy as hell and would probably be a tiger in the sack.

When the television went to commercial, the young men started to make comments and agreed that the girl was beautiful. Well, most everyone made comments. Sesshomaru simply didn't partake in such things. Yes, he would admit the girl was beautiful, but he was not one to go crazy over another person. Especially some girl he did not know.

When Hotohori announced that it was time to get on the road, that the girls were waiting on them, the young men stood up and eagerly moved towards the door. Inu Yasha quickly wrote a note to Kagome and welcomed her home. He explained that he and Kouga were going camping with their brothers and that they would be home in a couple of days.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when Kagome returned to the apartment. The taxi driver offered to carry up her luggage, but after politely declining, she grabbed her bags and walked up the stairs, let herself into the apartment, and smiled.

It was quiet and everything seemed to be in order. When she saw the note on the table, she quickly scanned it and grinned. Two whole days of nothing but peace and quiet. What a treat! Humming to herself, she propped her suitcase up by the front door, and decided to unpack in the morning. Right now, the shower was calling her and who was she to deny it?

It was early in the morning when the front door opened and Inu Yasha walked in, grumbling. Behind him, his brothers, along with their girlfriends, filed in, all angry and muttering. Even the unflappable Sesshomaru seemed put off by the sudden change in the weather.

It was Bankotsu who noticed the suitcase first. Pointing, he grumbled, "Looks like Humpty Dumpty is home. Why don't you drag her fat ass out of bed and have her cook for us. At least she would be useful."

Kouga glared over at the man, and was about to snap at him, but when he heard a door open and heard Kagome's voice, he quickly shut his mouth.

Footsteps were heard coming down the hall, and Bankotsu could be heard oinking softly. When she appeared, the oinking suddenly stopped. Suddenly, the game had changed and the young men realized that the beauty they had seen the prior day was now standing before them in a pair of very small boy-shorts and a tight tank top.

Her large, dark eyes traveled over the men and her perfectly manicured hands came to rest upon her hips, which were peeking slightly over the edge of her shorts. A scowl darkened her features and she snapped, "I thought your note said that you were going to be camping?"

At first, he was too stunned to reply, but when the scowl deepened and she huffed angrily, he was able to stand up and stutter, "K-Kagome?"

First of all, her first night home had been shot to hell when she realized that there was no hot water, and would have to forgo her shower. Then, she simply could not sleep and it was only in the wee hours of the morning did she finally drift off, but was awakened by Bankotsu's annoying voice.

Now, as she stood before the gaping people, she shook her head and snapped, "Who were you expecting, Inu Yasha? The toothfairy?"

Miroku coughed and said, "Wow, Kagome. You have changed." A goofy grin lit up his features, earning himself a glare from Sango.

Kagome's eyes cut over to the violet-eyed young man and she leaned forward, unknowingly giving Hiten, Yusuke, and Kuwabara a great view of her ass, and studied his face. Then, she straightened and sneered, "From the looks of your cheek, you have not."

Hotohori cleared his throat and stood up. He gave her a smile and said, "Welcome home, Kagome. I trust your flight went well."

Kagome's eyebrow lifted. Ok, this is the very first time that Hotohori spoke more than three words to her. Though his voice was sexy as hell, she was not going to be fooled. Never again.

Nodding and then turning her back on him, she glared over at Sango when the girl stood up and tried to give her a hug. Stepping back quickly, she nearly lost her balance, and yelped when she felt a pair of strong hands upon her hips, stopping her from falling. She quickly righted herself and walked over to the nearest wall, giving Tamahome a glare when he smiled at her.

The other occupants of the room glanced at each other before looking over at Kagome. Sango held up her hands and softly said, "I just wanted to give you a hug. Maybe we can go out tonight to celebrate your homecoming."

For a moment, Kagome stared at Sango before a slow smile crossed her lips. Sango's face brightened but then dimmed at Kagome's words.

"Well, as nice as that offer is, I can't. See, just as you didn't want to be seen in public with me when I was heavy, I don't want to be seen in public with you now." She snapped, her dark eyes narrowing in contempt. "And, don't worry about asking me to move out, Inu Yasha. I have rented another apartment and will be moving out later this week."

Her words stunned him. Never before had he heard anything but a kind word come from Kagome's lips. Now, it was as though he were staring at a stranger. It was clear that she was angry and he knew that he and his friends were deserving of her attitude. He started towards her to try and explain his behavior, but the phone stopped him.

Kouga slowly reached out and picked up the ringing phone. He listened for a moment, but then held the receiver out and said, "Kagome, it's for you."

Moving around her former friend, Kagome took the receiver from Kouga and calmly said, "Hello?" She listened for a moment and then nodded.

"Yes, I have heard of Tsubaki. She is the designer of "Wicked Miko Lingerie". She only accepts certain kinds of models and is very choosy about whom wears her designs." Kagome replied. She could feel everyone looking at her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, Miaka and Keiko will be flying out sometime tomorrow and we will be moving into the apartment the following day."

As she listened, a large grin spread across her lips and she nodded. "I'll be there. Thank you so much, Koenma. I really appreciate this. Goodbye." She said, before hanging up the phone. Turning, she noticed that everyone was staring at her, and she huffed before scuttling around Inu Yasha and heading for her room.

When she was gone, Kouga shook his head and stood up. "I can't believe it. Was that really Kagome?" He demanded, his shocked tone matching his expression.

"Aunt Kaede said that Kagome changed. Apparently, she changed more than I expected. I think that maybe we took the fat jokes a bit too far." Kikyo said quietly.

Inu Yasha turned to glance at Kagome's room before letting his shoulders droop. He'd never felt so badly and now, he could probably guess that in Kagome's eyes, they were no longer friends. His suspicions were confirmed when Kagome finally emerged from her room and didn't even acknowledge him when he told her goodbye. The old Kagome ignored the whispers and snickers, this Kagome fought back and didn't hesitate to use her claws. This was going to be one hell of a semester.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome sighed and smiled up at the young woman who was patiently waiting to take her order. Once she requested a small salad and bottled water, the young woman walked away, leaving Kagome to her thoughts.

Biting her lip, she thought about the confrontation at the apartment and could not help but feel justified for her behavior. Sango totally deserved it, but then again, she was above that kind of thing. She won. She became more than what anyone expected and now, she had the job that most women dreamed of.

She heard her name being called, and turned to look at the one calling her. Koenma moved towards her, a grin plastered upon his face and a folder in his hands.

"You are never going to guess who wants to work with you!" He exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with delight.

Kagome grinned. "Hmmm, must be someone pretty big if it has you this excited." She teased. As her boss lowered himself into a chair beside her, she grew curious as to what the folder held.

Koenma opened the folder and pulled out some photos. When he heard her gasp, he nodded. "You, my dear, are going to be working with Youko Kurama, your male counterpart as far as looks go. He was just voted the most handsome man alive in America, and from the way things look here, he is about to claim Japan's title as well."

Kagome had always harbored a major crush on the handsome model. He was just a bit older than her, and just the thought of posing with him sent her heart racing. She glanced over at Koenma and smiled.

"So, when will I get to meet him?" She asked, a slight blush staining her beautiful skin. She glanced up when she heard him chuckle.

"Well, it seems that you will be meeting him tonight, and you will both be modeling Tsubaki's designs. You got the contract, Kags! Tsubaki loved you and she thought that you and Youko would make the perfect couple to show off her collection for both men and women. Kags, you are in the big-time, now." He announced, his smile slowly ebbing away from his face.

Kagome felt her blush deepen. So, the very first time she would meet her crush would be wearing underwear. Well, at least he would be in his, as well. She noticed that Koenma had gone quiet and so she leaned forward.

"What's wrong? You look upset." She whispered, her eyes trained upon his. At first, he didn't reply, but then he said, "Youko is a well-known ladies man, Kagome. He has had a lot of women in his bed, and I strongly urge you to be very careful when dealing with him. I don't want to see you walk away with a broken heart, nor do I want you to harbor any ideas that he will change for someone as beautiful as you. Youko Kurama is a wild card, and one never knows what he is going to do next, or whom. Just play it safe, ok?"

Nodding, Kagome said, "Don't worry about me. I have enough on my plate and don't need to be in a relationship, at least not right now."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he nodded and signaled to the waitress that he was ready to give his order. As they ate, he made sure that Kagome knew where to go and what time to arrive for her very first photo-shoot with Youko. They would make one hell of a commotion in Tsubaki's designs.

* * *

When she returned to the apartment, she was surprised to find Sesshomaru there. He was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper, and sipping a glass of red wine. When she entered, his eyes lifted for a moment, but then returned to what he was reading.

Kagome never knew what to say to this particular man. He was always very quiet and reserved, but the one time she did see him lose his temper, she mentally made a note to never be on the wrong end of that temper.

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water out of the refrigerator, and then walked into the living room and grabbed the remote control. She turned on the television set and watched as the local entertainment program cut to a scene where Youko Kurama was getting out of his car, and ignored the photographers.

The reporter excitedly announced that Youko was the new model for "Wicked Miko" and would be joined by Kags, the newest star of Koenma Models. Rolling her eyes, she turned the program when the reporter began gushing about how attractive he thought she was.

"It would seem that you have an admirer in that reporter." Sesshomaru coolly said, his eyes never leaving the paper.

"It would seem that I have admirers all over the place." Kagome returned, her tone level. Seeing as he never pretended to be her friend to her face and then stab her in the back, she simply did not see the point in sharpening her tongue on him. Instead, she simply sat back and flipped through the channels until she came to an action movie.

Sitting back, she threw herself into the show, and did not notice that Sesshomaru had put his paper down to watch the movie, as well. Just as the movie ended, the front door opened and Inu Yasha, along with the rest of the fraternity, walked in.

Kagome wanted to roll her eyes as she was surrounded by the young men. She quickly moved over so that when Bankotsu plopped down next to her, she would not have to touch him. Everything about the young man made her want to choke him. He was rude, loud, and cruel. Now, he kept giving her smiles that made her want to reach over and rip his lips off.

Inu Yasha narrowed his eyes as he took in the scene of his elder brother sitting so close to Kagome. After she left, Kikyo demanded to know if he was attracted to her cousin, and he managed to convince her that he was not; that she did nothing for his body, but that was a lie. Had Kikyo not been there, he would have drooled all over her.

Sesshomaru was acutely aware that Kagome was right next to him, cringing away from Bankotsu. He closed his eyes when the scent of wildflowers reached his nose, teasing his senses. When she accidentally bumped his arm, his eyes jerked open and he heard her mumble an apology for hitting him.

Bankotsu moved closer to the beauty, his memory quickly forgetting all of the insults, names, and jokes he made at her expense. Instead, he was focused on the things his body was feeling and wanted nothing more than to put his arms around her and his lips on hers.

Finally, he decided that he was close enough and then winked at her. "I think that you and I should get to know each other better, Kagome. How about you and I going out tonight and I will show you the time of your life." He said, his chest puffed out as he waited for her to accept his proposal.

The look she shot him could have frozen hot coals. Shaking her head, she stood up and snapped, "Gee, as tempting as that is, I would rather slam my head against a wall than go out with you."

"Ah, you're pissed at me for all those things that I said, right?" He replied, lazily. "Kagome, I only said those things to help you, to force you to lose the weight so that you can show everyone just how attractive you are."

"And, to whom exactly are you trying to sell that load of bullshit? I am certainly not buying it." Kagome sneered, offended that the moron before her would actually attempt to take credit for all her hard work.

Laughter rang out, and Bankotsu felt his body stiffen as he took in the sight that Kagome made as she stood before him, attitude and all. Her long, dark hair fell down to her waist and moved as she spoke. Her clothing was form-fitting and clung to her in all the right places. She wore little make-up and what she did wear only enhanced her natural beauty. She was perfect and he wanted her.

"Aw, don't be like that, honey." He cooed, a smile lighting up his handsome features. "Let me buy you dinner and take you to a movie. That will brighten you mood."

Lifting her eyebrow, Kagome wondered what in the hell possessed the college to let this hard-headed fool in. Shaking her head, she said, "No, and besides, I have a prior engagement and I won't keep him waiting." That should shut the loud-mouthed creep up.

Suddenly, the room went deadly silent as her words rang in the young men's ears. Inu Yasha's fists curled up and he snarled, "And, who exactly are you going out with, Kagome?"

Though his anger shocked her, Kagome forced herself to remain calm and looked over at him. "I am not going out with anyone, Inu Yasha, but I have a photo-shoot tonight with Youko Kurama."

"Youko?" A red-headed young man exclaimed. "You are going to be working with Youko?" He asked, his tone polite.

When Kagome nodded, the red-head shook his head. "Are you aware of his reputation with the ladies? Oh, forgive me, I have failed to introduce myself. My name is Shuuichi Minamino and Youko is my cousin." He explained, his bright green eyes soft.

Kagome gave a short nod. "Yes, I have heard about his reputation. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a shoot to get ready for." She quickly left the room, ignoring the lustful gazes she was receiving and headed for her room.

Once she was gone, everyone turned to Shuuichi. "Ok, what is he like and why didn't we know that you were related to him?" Kouga demanded.

Shuuichi shrugged. "My mother asked me to keep it quiet. Youko is the son of her elder sister and has given my aunt a lot of problems. Apparently, he is quite mean when provoked and has a tendency to enjoy other people's pain. He also has no problems with sleeping with a girl and then leaving her in a cloud of dust once he is finished with her." He explained. "Kagome is the type of woman he normally avoids, mostly due to the fact that he can't stand attitudes larger than his, but Kagome is a pretty nice girl, well, to those who have not offended her."

Everyone's eyes turned towards Bankotsu, but the young man simply shrugged and shook his head, still smarting over being tossed over for some silver-haired pretty boy.

"Well, I am going to that shoot, and he had better keep his fucking hands off of her." Inu Yasha snapped. "I don't give a fuck if he is your cousin, he will not fuck Kagome and then walk away."

Sesshomaru snorted and shook his head. He, too, knew Youko. He knew that most of the stories were rumors, but Shuuichi's description of how Youko acted with people he didn't like was quite accurate. Perhaps he needed to pay his old friend a visit, just to see how he was doing.

* * *

When Kagome left for the shoot, she was unaware that she was being followed. By the time she got through hair and make-up, as well as wardrobe, she became aware that there was an audience and that she was going to have to do a lot of explaining to Koenma.

When Youko walked out of the dressing room, he was clad in only a pair of black silk boxers and his hair was loose and around his shoulders. He caught sight of his new partner and allowed his eyes to travel over her robe-covered body. Great. She was probably going to be another Yui, and if that was going to be the case, he would simply refuse to work with her, her beauty be damned.

He strolled over towards her, and tapped her on the shoulder, and allowed a smile to cross his features as she whispered, "I didn't know that they were going to be here, honest. I hope that Youko doesn't get offended by so many people being here. I'm really sorry, Koenma."

Leaning forward, he allowed his lips to gently touch her ear, causing her to jump in surprise, and whispered, "I don't mind, as long as they don't get in the way."

Whipping around, Kagome found herself face-to-face with the man whom she had been anxiously waiting to meet. Smiling nervously, she reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and then held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Kagome." She said, mentally killing the men behind her whom were vocally expressing their displeasure at the male beside her.

A lazy grin spread across his lips and he gently took her hand in his larger one. "Youko Kurama, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Kagome." Bending forward, he smirked as he heard the grumbling grow louder and kissed the soft skin of her hand. When he straightened, he winked at her and then looked over at the group of men.

"Shuuichi, I didn't expect you to be here." Youko said, his hand tightening on Kagome's. He gently tugged, silently telling her to walk with him, and led her over to the small group. As the cousins greeted each other, Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru was also staring at Youko. Finally, he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"It has been a long time, Youko. You are looking well." Sesshomaru said, his tone cool. Youko gave him a nod before he said, "Thank you. Tell me, are you a friend of Kagome?"

Before he could reply, Kagome shook her head and said, "They are all in a fraternity and Shuuichi mentioned that you were a cousin of his. I think that they are ready for us."

Youko glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "Yes, I think so, too. I will speak with you later, Shuuichi. Gentlemen, enjoy the show." He said, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he glanced down at Kagome.

Neither of them noticed the dark expression that crossed Sesshomaru's face, nor did they notice that many of the fraternity members were glaring at Youko with pure jealousy. As they walked onto the set, the photographer smiled at the pair and nodded his head vigorously.

"Oh, yes. I think that the two of you are perfect. My name is Kuronue Himura. We are going to have a lot of fun tonight." He murmured, his eyes slowly traveling over Kagome.

He told them to get rid of the robes and when they did, Kagome fought hard not to blush when she heard soft whistles coming from the group of uninvited visitors. She sneaked a peek at Youko, and found that his eyes were upon her, eating her form and smiling as he nodded his approval.

Before they could get started, the door to the set opened and a young woman appeared. With her long, white hair, she was striking, but no where near a match for Kagome. She grinned and glanced over at Kuronue.

"Forgive me, but I wanted to see them together before I made any specific demands on what I wanted. Seeing them together, I know what I want. I want them to convey the idea that lust is ok. I want them to enjoy touching, stroking, licking, and grinding against each other; to give off the appearance that they are a young couple who can't keep their hands off of each other. My lingerie is supposed to provoke such a reaction in a woman's man, and Kagome certainly is the kind of woman who men want to see in lingerie." Tsubaki said as she cast a grin over at Kuronue.

The dark haired young man nodded. He glanced over at Youko and lifted an eyebrow. Clearly, getting the two models hot for each other was not going to be hard. Judging by the way Youko was staring at Kagome, he could just bet that he would be eager to get between her pretty thighs.

Kagome felt Youko's large hands upon her waist and glanced up when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Sesshomaru was glaring at Youko, his hands clenched into fists, and she could not help but wonder what the taller man was thinking.

Sesshomaru glared at the man before him and continued to watch as Youko and Kagome got into their first pose. His eyes narrowed and he pointedly ignored the person tapping impatiently on his shoulder.

Finally, Naraku slid up next to him and smirked. "With the way you keep watching the fair Kagome, could one say that you are interested in her?" He asked, his red eyes watching Sesshomaru carefully for any sign of emotion.

Behind him, Inu Yasha began to chuckle. "Ok, now I remember him. Youko Kurama. The same Youko Kurama who was Sesshomaru's rival when they attended prep school together. If I remember correctly, Youko is the same guy who managed to screw him over for a prestigious honor at the school."

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth. He had been harboring a deep hate for Youko ever since he discovered that Youko only won that honor because he managed to sweet talk the stupid female who was responsible for counting the votes. Now, as he watched Kagome lay down on her back, and Youko lay down next to her, his hand moving up the satiny skin of her thigh, it was clear that the successful model was interested in her, and all he had to do was figure out a way to use that against him.

He watched as Youko and Kagome laughed, their smiles blinding as they cracked jokes between photos and when the photographer told Youko to kiss her, it was clear that not only had she enchanted him, she aroused him as well.

As soon as Youko's mouth fell upon hers, his hands moved to frame her face and it was at that precise moment that a plan formed in Sesshomaru's mind. He knew exactly how he was going to pay Youko back. Youko fucked with his success, and now, Sesshomaru would fuck with his heart.

Now, all he had to do was wait. Wait for the perfect time and soon, he would have Youko kneeling at his feet, begging him for mercy, and he would finally get that last laugh he had been waiting for.


	4. Chapter 4

"This meeting will now come to order." Hotohori announced, but then frowned when his words were not heard. He opened his mouth once again, but as before, he was ignored.

Finally, Tasuki stood up and snapped, "Will you guys shut the fuck up? The pretty boy is trying to talk, so shut your yaps and listen!"

Hotohori's mouth drew into a thin line and he wearily said, "Thank you, Tasuki, for that, though I do wish you would find some other way of speaking instead of always using profanity."

Shrugging, Tasuki replied, "Hey, I don't try to change your uptight ass, you don't try to change mine." He turned his eyes towards his buddy, Chichiri, and smirked.

"At least he got noticed, ya know?" Chichiri said, a grin spreading across his lips as Tasuki laughed and patted his back.

Before he could utter another word, Nuriko stood up and glared at Tasuki. "Hotohori is right. The rest of us don't want to hear your dirty mouth, Tasuki. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He demanded as his eyes strayed over to Hotohori to gaze at him adoringly.

"I hate my mom. Hell, I hate girls, period. They are nothing but huge pains in the ass." Tasuki grumbled, his bright red hair falling into his eyes.

Bankotsu snorted. "Yeah, but they are so much fun to fuck. Take Kagome for instance. When I get her sweet, little ass in bed, I am going to have the time of my life." He jeered, his chest puffing out as he arrogantly surveyed the room.

"Kagome hates your guts." Kouga snapped. "The only way you would ever get her to touch you is by letting her slap you."

Bankotsu shrugged. "Give me time. Soon, I will be able to claim her as mine and that Youko fuck will be history." He said, ignoring Kouga's words.

He knew that he lost control of the meeting the moment Jakotsu spied the folder of photos that Kagome left on the table and began to flip through them. He squealed that Youko looked great in his boxers, and that brought all of the young men forward, each wanting to see the photos.

In the first photo, Kagome was lying beneath Youko, her long legs wrapped around his lean waist as he kissed her passionately. The second and third photos showed the couple's hands, roaming over the other's body and smiling up at each other. The fourth photo, the one that drew the most responses and the one they had not been allowed to witness being taken because they got thrown out of the studio due to Bankotsu's loud mouth telling Youko to keep his fucking hands off of Kagome, had Kagome standing in front of Youko in only a pair of string bikini panties and nothing else.

Her breasts were crushed against his chest and her head was nestled in the crook of his neck, while one of his hands was roaming over the soft skin of her back, which was bare due to the fact that she had taken off the bra, while Youko's other hand played with the delicate string of her panties.

Now, as he tried to gain everyone's attention, Hotohori realized that it was a lost cause and simply sat back down. Sesshomaru calmly stood up, collected the photos and said, "These do not belong to us. Now, seeing as how the meeting was called to order, let us deal with the business that has brought us all together."

Hotohori smiled and gave Sesshomaru a nod. He watched as the photos were placed back into the folder and returned to their original position on the table before speaking. This madness that had taken over the fraternity had to stop.

"I realize that many of you are attracted to Kagome, but let us not forget that we are brothers and need to maintain that bond, especially now that we are so close to moving into our new fraternity house." Hotohori said, his eyes slowly traveling over his brothers. "While I agree that Kagome is very beautiful, no woman should ever come between us. We are brothers, first and foremost."

The murmurs of compliance filled the air, but stopped when the front door opened and Kikyo and Sango entered the apartment.

Neither girl looked happy and when they stood before their boyfriends, ignoring the curious glances from the other men, Kikyo snapped, "Is it true that you followed Kagome to her shoot and ogled her as she posed?"

Inu Yasha's cheeks reddened, but he nodded. "We heard that she was posing with Youko Kurama and I didn't want him to take advantage of her." He weakly explained. He looked over at Miroku, but winced when a loud slap was heard. Suddenly, the room was deadly silent and everyone watched as Sango ripped into Miroku.

"You told me that you and your brothers were studying. Well, now I know what you were studying. You were studying Kagome's breasts and ass. Tell me, Miroku. Do you want to fuck her? Is she the reason why you don't want to fuck me anymore?" Sango demanded, her eyes flashing angrily. Damn it, this was not supposed to be happening to her. She and Miroku were supposed to be desperately in love, and now, he could hardly look at her without flinching. Now, finding out that he had been watching Kagome as she modeled bras and panties was the last straw. This had to stop.

Miroku felt the heat from her slap. Oh, he was growing so damn tired of her abusing him. In fact, several of his brothers were constantly asking him why he tolerated it. Truth be told, he didn't know. However, he wasn't going to deal with it anymore. He had reached his limit.

"Do I want to fuck Kagome? Well, who here doesn't." He asked, rolling his eyes. "I meant, who here doesn't who is straight."

Jakotsu and Nuriko relaxed and sat back to watch the show. They were gay and proud of it. They watched as Miroku stood up, and glared at Sango. "Has it ever occurred to you that one day, you are going to slap me one too many times? Well, I am done. This isn't about me seeing Kagome model. This is about you and your need to control me. Well, it is coming to an end, right now."

Sango sucking in a breath. "What do you mean, you are done?" She asked, her voice quivering. She knew that she often hit Miroku, but since he never said anything, she figured that it wasn't a big deal.

"I mean that we are finished. I will not sit by and let you continue to hit me. Find some other guy who is into that, but know that I am not." Miroku replied, his violet eyes narrowed. "I wish that it was Kagome whom I met before you. Honestly, her weight didn't really bother me. It was how she dressed that put me off, but over all, at least she was and still is a nice girl. You could take lessons from her, Sango. At least she knows how to treat people."

Paling, Sango glanced at Kikyo, but the other woman could only shrug. Gulping down a sob, Sango's voice was watery as she softly asked, "Is there any way you and I could go somewhere private and talk this out?"

"No." Miroku said, his voice just as soft. "I won't go anywhere with you, anymore. You have hit me for the last time. I don't want to be with you, and don't want you near me."

Sango wanted to touch him, but as she reached out, hoping to convince him to change his mind, Hiei grabbed her hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"You need to go. You no longer have a boyfriend here and none of us really want to look at the woman who would disrespect our brother the way you have." He said, his eyes narrowing in a silent challenge.

The sob she had been holding broke loose and she yanked her hand away from the short man. Turning on her heel, she walked to the door, and jumped back when the door opened. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Kagome and two girls she didn't know enter the apartment.

Without another word, Sango brushed past the girls and left. She needed time to herself. But, as soon as the door closed behind her, the tears began to fall and she sobbed as she walked to her car.

Kagome stared at the front door, but then looked at Keiko and Miaka. She grinned when she noticed that Miaka was gazing longingly towards the kitchen and then gave her large puppy-dog eyes.

Waving her hand in the air, Kagome said, "Go ahead. I know you are hungry." She watched as Miaka ignored the men and Kikyo and headed straight for the refrigerator.

"You would think that with lunch on the plane, then stopping at that burger place, and pigging out on fries, she wouldn't be hungry." Keiko murmured, watching as Miaka began piling items onto the counter.

Laughing, Kagome turned and glanced at Inu Yasha. "These are my friends, Keiko and Miaka. They are going to help me move my stuff into our new apartment." She announced. Her eyes strayed over to the folder that was sitting on the table and she shook her head. She knew that her friends wanted a glimpse of Youko, and now they were about to get it.

"Ok, are you ready to see him?" She asked, a smile forming on her lips. Keiko nodded and noticed that one of the young men was staring at her. She wanted to snap at him to take a picture, but from the looks of him, he was nothing but trouble. Despite the fact that she was a die-hard good girl, she could not help but think that he was very handsome.

Miaka finally finished making a sandwich and sauntered over to look over Keiko's shoulder. As soon as she opened the folder, both girls were sighing over how sexy the male looked.

"Damn, I can't believe that you actually got to kiss him. Do you know how many girls would love to be in your place?" Miaka asked, her eyes wide. She looked up and lifted an eyebrow as she noticed a tall young man looking over at her. She smiled and grew warm when he smiled back. He was a hottie.

"And men, hon." Jakotsu drawled, a leer forming on his lips, earning himself a glare from Nuriko.

Kagome sighed and grinned at the girls. "Well, if you want to meet him, then you are going to have to come with me tonight to a party at Club Shikon. He is the guest of honor and guess whom he asked to be his special guest. And, when I told him about the two of you, he insisted that you two join us." She said, her eyes twinkling.

Keiko and Miaka stared at Kagome before squealing and smothering her in a bone-crushing group hug. As Keiko sighed about what she would wear, Miaka sighed about all of the delicious food that would be served, leaving Kagome to deal with reality.

They had heard every word. Club Shikon was an exclusive club that was difficult to get into, even if the person had a lot of money. The only way into the club was to be invited to be a member, or be the date of a member.

Kikyo cleared her throat and approached her cousin. She had heard about the things that one got to experience in Club Shikon and was a bit worried that her cousin would not be able to handle herself.

"Kagome, perhaps you should reconsider going to the club. It is a very mature club, and things go on there that perhaps you are not ready for." She advised. She watched as the girls quickly parted and stepped aside to let Kagome face her cousin.

The cold glare that Kagome shot Kikyo was one that impressed even Sesshomaru. The younger woman stiffened and turned to fully face her cousin. "I would appreciate it if you didn't worry about what I am and am not ready for. You didn't care for me a few months ago, so don't pretend that you care for me now. Come on, girls. Let's get my stuff and move it." She said, leading the two girls from the room.

Kikyo sighed and turned to find herself face-to-face with Inu Yasha's chest. "How in the hell would you know what goes on at the club? Have you ever been?" He demanded.

Kikyo paled. "No, of course not. I have heard rumors, Inu Yasha. That's all." She said, her eyes widening in alarm. Actually, that was not true. She did go to that club once and was on Naraku's arm, even though she was dating Inu Yasha.

As she spoke, Naraku's face tightened. The bitch dared to deny going to the club, thus denying him. Well, they would have to speak later on.

As the men muttered about what they heard about the club, Sesshomaru stood up and said, "I will keep an eye on her. I, too, am going to the party."

Suddenly, the room grew quiet as all eyes turned to him. "What do you mean, you are going to the party? You're not a member." Inu Yasha scoffed, his golden eyes narrowing.

"Actually," Sesshomaru replied, his tone lofty, "I am a member. I became a member last year, but simply have not gone. However, seeing as how I know about what goes on at these parties, I will attend and keep an eye on Kagome. Just because she is a friend of yours, of course."

The room suddenly exploded as everyone began to fire questions at Sesshomaru, but were quickly silenced when Kagome's voice was heard.

When the girls appeared, Kagome led the way, carrying several items of clothing, while Miaka walked behind her, carrying her computer monitor, with Keiko coming up the rear, carrying Kagome's large plant. As the girls passed them, Keiko accidentally tripped on Kuwabara's boot and began to fall, only to find herself wrapped up in a pair of strong arms, preventing her from falling.

The dark haired man she had noticed earlier was holding her, and let her go once she regained her balance. When he let go, he shoved his hands in his pockets, and grumbled, "Why don't you be more careful?"

After being on a plane with Miaka for nearly five hours, then having to deal with rude people stepping in front of her to grab their luggage, making her miss hers, she had reached her limit.

"Why don't you kiss my ass?" She snapped, her eyes narrowing. She noticed that a piece of her hair had fallen before her eyes and she huffed at it, angrily reminding herself to kill Miaka for insisting on that particular cut.

Yusuke's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Excuse me? Do you know who in the fuck you are talking to?" He demanded, his temper quickly rising.

"Yes, I am speaking to the idiot whose village is missing him. Why not run along and see if you are needed." Keiko snapped, she noticed that Kagome moved closer to her and gently placed her hand upon her arm.

Laughing lightly, Kagome said, "Ah, I see that you have made a new friend, Keiko. This is Yusuke. Yusuke, this is Keiko. Well, we have to go. See you boys later." Grabbing Keiko's arm, she practically dragged the angered girl from the apartment and heard Miaka tell the men goodbye.

After the girls left, Yusuke turned to the men and snapped, "That bitch is in serious need of an ass beating."

"Are you going to give it to her?" Hiei replied, his red eyes straying towards the door. He could understand the girl's irritation. If anyone spoke to his sister, Yukina, in such a way, they would be sporting injuries for a very long time.

Gritting his teeth, Yusuke didn't reply. His blood was singing and he was pumped up. No one had ever dared to speak back to him, and this girl did. Instead of being really pissed off, he was more curious about her.

Hotohori sat back in his chair and let a smile form on his lips. That girl, the one who had been eating the sandwich, was very unique. Most females would not have ignored men in favor of making a sandwich, but this girl didn't even give them a glance, but instead hustled into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. Perhaps it would be worth his time to get to know her.

He glanced over and noticed that Tamahome was deep in thought. Narrowing his eyes, Hotohori could not help but wonder if the young man was thinking about the girl. Well, he wasn't worried. After all, in the looks department, he would kill Tamahome. No, the girl would not pass him up to go after Tamahome. Of that, he was sure.

Sesshomaru quietly slipped out of the apartment and headed towards his car. It was time for him to get ready. He needed to start his plan tonight, and would make sure that Youko noticed him. It would be fun to see him angry; after all, he rarely lost his cool, so making him explode at his own party would be just the thing to make his night.


	5. Chapter 5

The loud music made him grit his teeth. Now he remembered why he didn't like coming to clubs. The music hurt his ears. He would rather be at home, listening to the classical music that he loved. However, tonight was a special occasion and he could barely keep his excitement contained.

Many women had approached him and those women were quickly sent on their way. None of them would interfere with his plan and he had to make sure that he was the one in total control of the situation.

When a loud noise was heard, Sesshomaru glanced over at the door and saw Youko enter the club with Kagome on his arm. Her two friends were absent and he smirked. At least he didn't have to worry about those two other females.

His eyes traveled over Kagome's body. He nodded in approval at the dress she wore. Kagome was wearing a silky ivory dress that came down past her knees and had a pair of heels that had a strap at the ankle. Her silky hair was in a sophisticated knot at the back of her head and her minimal jewelry gave off the appearance of high class. Kagome didn't need to be flashy; her looks attracted enough attention on their own.

Youko was wearing a black suit, with a silver and black tie. The male model was clearly in his element as he greeted the people he knew and quickly introduced Kagome as his date. Sesshomaru could see the envy on the other women's faces as they looked at Kagome, but the young woman seemed to be very uncomfortable.

Youko led her over to the bar, and for the first time, seemed to notice him. "Sesshomaru, I didn't know that you were a member of this club." Youko said, his arm sliding around Kagome as he regarded his old school mate.

Giving a brief nod, Sesshomaru replied, "I joined a year ago. So, are you both enjoying your evening?"

Kagome glanced nervously around her, but nodded. "Yes, we are." She replied. "Keiko and Miaka decided that they were too tired to come tonight, so they will have to wait until the next party to have a good time."

"Yes. Jet lag will do that to a person." Sesshomaru murmured. Youko watched as Sesshomaru continued to stare at Kagome and felt an uneasy twinge. He was about to suggest that they go into the VIP section, but an old friend of his ran up and grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the bar.

Once he was gone, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome and silently watched as she shifted uncomfortably. "It is odd that someone who looks as you do and who is as successful as you are this uncomfortable in public." He stated.

Kagome blushed. "I am not all that into parties, to be honest." She murmured. "I only came out because it is good publicity for Wicked Miko."

"I see." Sesshomaru replied. "So, you have become a tool for your employer. I am sure that it must be very satisfying to you."

Kagome turned and glared up at him. "First of all, I am not a tool. You, however, have no room to talk. You are a tool of that joke you call a fraternity. Look at the company you keep. Save for a few of them, the others have the manners of pigs at slop time." She snapped. "Second, I am only here to promote for my job, nothing more, nothing less."

Straightening, Sesshomaru shrugged. "Whatever gets you through the night, Kagome. However, it would appear that your date has been accosted and now, you are all alone. I am sure that if you call him, Bankotsu would be more than happy to come down and escort you."

"Well, he can't be any worse than the company I am keeping now, could he?" She sneered. Turning on her heel, she walked away missing the glare that Sesshomaru was currently giving to her. He grabbed his drink and began to follow Kagome, taking note that she was moving towards the exit.

He was about to stop her, but Youko beat him, once again. Just as she was about to touch the exit door, Youko's hand caught her by her upper arm and he gave her a soft smile.

"I apologize for leaving you. It seems that a young lady that I used to model with is here and making quite a spectacle of herself. I do hope that you have been enjoying yourself." Youko said, his bright eyes twinkling as he smiled down at Kagome.

Sighing, Kagome nodded. "Yes, it's been nice." She murmured, not wanting to hurt his feelings by telling him that she was miserable.

Taking her hand in his, Youko glanced over and shot Sesshomaru a smug smile. Yes, he knew exactly what Sesshomaru is up to. He could tell that his former friend was scouting out the territory around Kagome but he had to wonder why. Could it be that Sesshomaru was out to hurt Kagome in some way, or perhaps it was himself that Sesshomaru was after.

Either way, he would not give Sesshomaru the opportunity. Instead, he would stay aware and wait patiently for his old friend to strike. He led Kagome through the crowd of people and into the VIP section of the club. Sure enough, he saw her.

Yui was just as beautiful as he remembered. With her short blond hair and pretty eyes, it was clear why she was a model, but her attitude was rotten and she always thought that people were out to get her if something didn't go her way. They had dated for a short period of time, but he quickly grew tired of her constant whining and so, he ended things with her, but judging from the looks she was shooting him, she was far from done with him.

Kagome could see Youko's face as he stared over at an attractive blond woman. Squinting her eyes, she suddenly realized that the woman was Yui Hongo. She had once read that Youko and Yui were in a relationship, and now, she could see that the tabloids had been correct. For once.

Yui narrowed her eyes as she took in the sight of her former lover holding hands with a very beautiful dark haired woman. Both looked stunning and for a moment, Yui wondered if this was the woman she was thrown over for. She wouldn't doubt it. Youko's appetites had always been strong for dark haired women, but this woman left all of the others she had known about in a cloud of dust.

Standing up, she smoothed her dress and began to walk towards the couple and stopped a few short feet away from the pair. Up close, she could see that the woman was the same woman that had been announced on television as Youko's new partner for Wicked Miko. She bit her lip, but then took a deep breath and said, "It is nice to see you again, Youko."

Youko gave her a brief nod, and then looked around. He could feel eyes upon them and knew that the people were probably waiting for the fireworks to begin, mostly because Yui had a habit of creating a scene whenever she was unhappy.

"Yui." He said, his golden eyes narrowing. "I didn't realize that you would be here."

Yui smiled and moved closer to Youko. "I had heard that you were in town and decided to come and see you. We need to speak." She said and shot Kagome a hard glare.

Youko felt Kagome stiffen beside him and gently squeezed her hand. "Yui, I am here with Kagome and don't have time for this. If you wish to speak with me, make an appointment with my personal assistant." He said, and began to lead Kagome away from the young woman.

Yui could not believe that he had just snubbed her right in front of everyone. She glared hatefully at Kagome and pointed at her. "Just you wait. He will fuck you and then leave you behind."

Kagome froze and slowly turned to face Yui. She was not going to let that go by without a reply. "Sort of the way he did to you?" She sneered and flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder. "Sorry, but I'm not the sort of girl who goes out and spreads my legs for men I hardly know. Perhaps you should have gotten to know him better if that is the way he treats the women he sleeps with."

Yui's face turned pure white. She could hear the snickers and screamed, "Do you know who I am, bitch?"

Kagome shrugged and pretended to think. "Hmmmmm. Actually, I don't have a clue as to who you are. Are you supposed to be someone important?" She asked, her tone innocent.

Sesshomaru nodded his approval at Kagome's banter with the arrogant Yui. He, too, knew Yui and knew that if it had a fat wallet, she would screw it. He watched as Yui's mouth dropped open and she then screeched, "I am Yui Hongo."

"Who?" Kagome asked. She narrowed her eyes and then shook her head. "Nope, I'm sorry. Your name doesn't ring a bell with me. You must not be that well known. You must excuse me, but when you are busy like me, you tend not to notice others in the business, unless they are on your level. Clearly, you are no where near mine."

Youko's laughter rang out and he hugged Kagome to his hard body. He whispered in her ear that he was glad that he was there to witness someone put Yui in her well-deserved place. Moving away from the humiliated model, Youko led Kagome to a table that had been reserved for him and let her slide in and then sat down beside her.

"I have never seen anyone out bitch Yui. Kagome, that was wonderful." Youko exclaimed, his expression smug.

Kagome blushed. "You know, I don't do that often, but I have to admit that it felt good. Normally, I am pretty quiet and nice." She murmured.

Youko nodded. "Yes, being a bitch simply doesn't fit in with your gentle nature. But, I like the fact that when you need it, you have got a lot of fire. I do believe that you and I are going to work well together." He said, motioning for a waitress to come to their table.

For nearly three hours, they talked and drank. Not being much of a drinker, Kagome soon found that the room was spinning and her head felt funny. Youko must have realized that she had reached her limit because he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Come on. Let's go home." He whispered. He slid out of his seat and pulled Kagome up and into his arms. He felt her sway and heard her whispered that she was sorry that she was a bit tipsy.

"Don't worry about it. I should not have insisted on that last bottle of wine. Let's get out of here, and I will take good care of you. I promise." He said as he navigated them through the crowd of adoring fans.

However, Youko quickly found himself pulled backwards by some very eager female fans, leaving Kagome to fend for herself and she felt her legs give out on her. But, before she could hit the floor, a strong arm encircled her waist and pulled her up and against a hard chest. Thinking it was Youko, her eyes closed and she allowed the male to walk her outside and into the cool night air.

By the time he got outside, Youko saw Sesshomaru walking around to the driver's side of his car and then look back at him. A smirk graced Sesshomaru's flawless features and he said, "Do not concern yourself with Kagome. I will ensure that she returns home safely and you may continue to have your good time. I hear that Yui is still inside and perhaps you can convince her to give you another go seeing as how Kagome will not be available for you to bed this evening." He climbed into the car, started the engine, and drove to the exit, but he quickly looked back to see Youko punch the wall in anger before going back inside the club.

Beside him, Kagome was breathing heavily and he knew that she was deeply asleep. He narrowed his eyes and wondered where he should take her. If he took her to her apartment, he would have to deal with her friend's questions, and if he took her back to the frat house, his brothers would be all over him, but since he still had the key to Inu Yasha's apartment, and Kagome's bed was still there, it was the most logical place to go.

Soon, they were at the apartment and when he unlocked the door and opened it, the door was yanked open to reveal a shirtless Inu Yasha.

"What in the fuck happened to her?" He demanded, his eyes concerned. He reached out to take Kagome from his elder brother, but was shocked when Sesshomaru pushed past him and entered the apartment.

Sesshomaru wanted to sigh when he realized that he should have known that his fraternity brothers would be at the apartment. After all, rush week was coming up and they needed to decide on what tasks to make the recruits perform. Now, as his brothers came into view and their eyes riveted to Kagome's unconscious form, all of them looked angry and it was Bankotsu who snapped, "What in the fuck happened to my girlfriend?"

"She isn't your girlfriend, you asshole." Kouga snapped. He was about to approach Bankotsu when the young man flipped him off, but Nuriko stopped him and said, "Let's hear what Sessy has to say. Go ahead, Sessy-baby."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at the nickname that Nuriko had bestowed upon him a year ago, but he had learned to deal with the young man's advances simply by ignoring them. After all, with the way he looked, it was natural for both men and women to lust after him.

"Kagome is drunk. Youko allowed her to drink a little too much and each time she politely declined, he continued to goad her into drinking more. It would seem that Kikyo was correct in the club being too fast for Kagome." Sesshomaru replied.

Tasuki shook his head. "So what in the hell are we going to do with her?" He demanded. He glanced around and could see that the others were probably all thinking about what they would love to do with her. Well, they could do whatever they wanted, he was a bit more interested in that girl that Kagome introduced to them. The one who was eating a sandwich. If he remembered correctly, her name was Miaka.

"I am going to place her into her room and tuck her in for the night." Sesshomaru replied. He didn't care for the way his brothers were staring at Kagome's lovely body as though it were a piece of meat.

Kouga sighed. "Sesshomaru...you are aware that you are going to have to undress her, right?" He asked. "Kagome can't sleep with clothes on. She never has."

Sesshomaru felt his body freeze. He glanced down at Kagome and then glared at Bankotsu when he offered to strip her. However, before he could tell Bankotsu exactly where he could go, complete with explicit directions, Jakotsu spoke up.

"Give her to me. I will undress her and tuck her in." He said as he motioned for Kagome to be handed to him. When Sesshomaru hesitated, he calmly said, "Look, Nuriko and I are not into girls. I am sure that Kagome would feel better if it were one of us who undressed her as opposed to one of you. Besides, I am not attracted her her so there's no problem."

Sesshomaru slowly nodded. That did make sense and he wanted Kagome to look upon him as a friend, and she needed to be able to trust him. This was just the first step in his plan. He handed the sleeping young woman to Jakotsu and watched as he and Nuriko disappeared down the hall and into her old room. When they were gone, Sesshomaru glared at Bankotsu.

"I want you to listen to me well. She doesn't like you. You made fun of her, insulted her, humiliated her time and time again. She is not your girlfriend and will never be your girlfriend. Find someone else who is willing to waste time and energy on you. Kagome is out of your league." He snapped.

Storming into the living room, he sat down and waited for his brothers to come back in and sit. He noticed that Bankotsu was glaring at him, and returned the glare with one that was just as cold and one that was filled with pure malice.

Soon, Nuriko and Jakotsu was back and Hotohori nodded. "Now, let us discuss the upcoming rush and I want to suggest a few things that need to be done around the frat house." He announced.

* * *

Youko yanked off his tie and threw it into the chair that sat in a corner in his bedroom. He kicked his shoes off and glared at himself in the mirror. It had been foolish of him to allow Kagome to become intoxicated. She was his responsibility and she should be here with him, but instead, she was in the care of that egotistical prick, Sesshomaru.

Oh, he really hated that man. Sesshomaru Taisho was too cocky for his own good and it was clear that he desired Kagome. And, what Sesshomaru wanted, he went after with a vengeance. He never got over the fact that he had been passed up for that prestigious award and now, he could just bet that Sesshomaru was going to use Kagome and her sweet nature to get back at him. Well, he would not allow it. He would sidestep all of Sesshomaru's tricks and he would help Kagome see that she was simply being used for Sesshomaru's own selfish needs.

He undressed and slid beneath his sheets. Once he was covered, he sighed and looked out the window. He could not help but wonder if Kagome was resting peacefully in her bed, or if Sesshomaru had slid her into his own bed. Just the thought of him touching her soft body made him angry.

Sure. He had been with many people. Bodies in the dark, if the truth were to be told. None of those women meant anything except as a means for him to gain his pleasure. Well, there had been one woman, but she turned out to be nothing more than a gold-digging tramp, and from then on, he had decided never to get involved with another woman, except to fuck and run.

But, here he was and he wanted Kagome. He was amazed that in such a short period of time, he could feel so strongly about someone, but he was growing to care for her and the image of Sesshomaru's gloating face made him want to get up, and hunt the arrogant bastard down, just for touching Kagome.

He could not help but wonder if he had undressed the beauty. If he had seen her body nude, there would be no stopping him from beating the ever-loving shit out of him. Good image, be damned. He would gladly shed his pretty boy image if it meant knocking Sesshomaru's teeth down his damn throat.

Turning on his side, Youko allowed his eyes to close and took in a deep, calming breath. As sleep began to claim him, he reached out and grabbed the other pillow that was next to his, and brought it close to his body, wishing that it were Kagome who he was holding.

* * *

It was nearly two in the morning, and Sesshomaru quietly let himself into the darkened room. His fraternity brothers had left, and all that had remained was Inu Yasha, Kouga, and himself. He moved closer to the bed and looked down at Kagome.

The girl was smiling in her sleep, and he could not help but wonder what she was dreaming about that would make her so happy. He reached down and gently brushed back a piece of her dark hair that had fallen across her eyes.

When his hand came into contact with her hair, Kagome moaned softly, and then turned on her side, the sheet falling away and revealing the creamy skin of her back. Her arm was covering her breast, but her backside was visible for his inspection and he could not help but wonder what would happen if he were to stroke the firm flesh of her bottom.

But, his good senses won and he grasped the sheet and pulled in up over her body and then covered her with the blanket. He walked back towards the door, but stopped and glanced over his shoulder. The sight that met his eyes took his breath away. Kagome had turned back over and was now on her back. The moon was still shining into the room and the light caught her face in such a way that he was momentarily enchanted.

The mood was quickly broken when Inu Yasha appeared and grasped his arm. Pulling his elder brother out into the hallway, he glanced into the room just as he was closing the door and could not help but wonder how it would feel to go into the room and lie down beside her.

But, he closed the door and then said, "Don't do this, Sesshomaru. Whatever you have against Youko, don't use Kagome."

Sesshomaru's back stiffened and he glared down at his brother. "This is none of your business, brat." He sneered, he began to walk down the hall, but stopped when Inu Yasha said, "Do you hate Youko that much that you are willing to hurt Kagome in the process?"

"The girl is safe with me. I have no intentions of hurting her. Now, I am tired and will be staying the night. Good night, Inu Yasha." Sesshomaru said, and shut the door behind him. Inu Yasha shook his head as he heard his brother lock the door and then jumped when Kouga touched his shoulder.

"I think that we will need to keep an eye on Kagome." He murmured. When his best friend nodded, Kouga moved around and walked to his room.

"By the way, you are aware that you have just been evicted from your room for the night, right?" Kouga asked with a grin, and then closed and locked his own door.

Inu Yasha stood in the hallway, his jaw hanging open as he realized that Kouga's words were indeed correct. "Hey!!!!"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Now you guys are caught up to Spark. Please review and enjoy.

* * *

Sesshomaru awoke and quickly dressed before making his way out of Inu Yasha's room and into the living room. He saw his brother, asleep, with his arms slung over his eyes and a bit of drool hanging from his mouth. Sesshomaru's mouth twisted into a sneer and wondered for what had to be the millionth time how in the hell he and Inu Yasha could be related.

He could hear Kagome's soft moans and he could just bet that she was experiencing her very first hangover. He went into the kitchen and quickly filled a cup with several ingredients, and when finished, he walked to Kagome's bedroom.

He didn't bother to knock, and simply walked in. She, was lying on her back, and had her pillow over her face, clearly a pathetic attempt to shield her eyes from the sun that was peeking through her blinds. He walked to her bedside and said, "Take this, and you will feel better."

Kagome slowly pushed the pillow aside and grimaced as her eyes felt the punishing light of the sun. Memo to herself: Do not drink ever again. However, she was in no mood to argue and only hoped that he was not joking that whatever he had would make her feel better.

The stuff was terrible. She gagged and when she managed to keep the stuff from making a return appearance, she gave Sesshomaru an accusing glare and snapped, "You said that it would make me feel better."

Shrugging, he turned his back and said, "I never said that it tasted good. Give it a few minutes and get some more sleep. You will be back to your old self when you wake up." He didn't wait for her reply and simply walked out of the room, closing the door on his way out.

He took in a couple of deep breaths. She looked breathtaking, even with a hang over. How was it that he could be this attracted to her, even though he knew that she was once fat and ugly. Well, that was not entirely true. She was never ugly. In fact, he had once thought that if she lost her weight, she might actually be pretty. He was shocked that she had exceeded his expectations by a wide margin.

But, he could not dwell on how she was making him feel. He had to deal with how he was going to get at Youko and he needed to make a solid plan. The male model had to be shown his place, and soon. It was obvious that he was attracted to Kagome, as well, so how could he hurt him the most? He could use his charms to woo Kagome and make her fall for him, thus breaking Youko's heart, but then what? He didn't know if he wanted to keep her, but he could also fall victim to his own plot and fall for her, as well.

He shook his head angrily, and turned to glare at Kagome's door. Damn that woman, for making him lose focus when it counted the most. He needed to keep his mind about him and forgo these damn feelings. He would have his revenge. Youko would regret the day he fucked with Sesshomaru.

* * *

Youko awoke and yawned. He glanced around the room and then angrily hit his pillow with his fist. Last night had been nothing but a series of mistakes. The first one was taking Kagome to that party. What he should have done was take her to a nice restaurant and wined and dined her, then took her dancing at this quaint little night spot he knew. It was a place that played slow music for most of the time and he would have been able to feel Kagome in his arms and pressed close to his body. The second mistake was goading her into drinking more than what she could handle. He should have stopped at the first sign that she was getting tipsy, but he was nervous and really liked her, and needed to loosen her up. The final mistake was letting Sesshomaru ursurp his place beside Kagome, and take her away.

Yes, his mistakes had been bad, but there was probably a way for him to make it up to Kagome. Since Sesshomaru wanted to play dirty, well, he could as well. He would simply make up for his bad judgement by asking her out on a real date. That would show her that he was not some playboy who just liked partying and drinking.

A slow smile crossed his lips as he swung his legs around to the side of his bed. He glanced at his clock and lifted a brow. With as much as Kagome drank, he could probably bet that she was still asleep, so he would call her cell phone and leave her a message. This way, he could be sure that she would get his message.

He reached for his cell phone and dialed Kagome's number. He smiled when her voicemail picked up. When he heard the beep, he smoothly said, "Kagome, this is Youko. I apologize for what happened last night and would like to make it up to you this evening. I would like to take you to dinner and then take you to a quiet, little place I know. I promise, it will not be crowded and I will be all yours, tonight. Please, give me a call."

Hanging up, he smiled and shook his head. He could almost see Sesshomaru's face when he heard that Kagome was going back out with him, or at least he hoped that she would go back out with him. Either way, he would make it up to her, while striking a serious blow to Sesshomaru. It was a perfect plan.

Getting up, he padded his way into the kitchen, his body gloriously nude, and he began to prepare his breakfast. As he gathered the ingredients, he smiled and allowed a soft chuckle to escape him as he thought back to what Kagome had said to Yui. That was a moment to remember.

* * *

Yui groaned as she realized just how badly she had been portraid in the entertainment papers. The headlines were horrendous and continued to say that she had been put in her place by the woman considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Now she knew who that female was on Youko's arm. Her name was Kags, and rumor had it that to cross her was instant death to other models as far as career goes. She was the darling of Koenma Modeling and what she wanted, she got.

And, what Yui got, was probably an enemy who could seriously damage her career. And, the worst part about it, was that Kags was now the center of Youko's attention.

When they dated, he treated her well, but always held himself back. He never pushed, but when pushed, he became very difficult as she discovered when she wanted to know where their relationship was heading.

It was during that conversation that Youko revealed that he was simply not interested in her, but only needed a bed partner for a period of time, and now, her time was up. The part that hurt the most was that as he said the cruel words, it was as if he were simply talking about the weather, or a piece of garbage that he was tired of. His tone was bored and he was just very direct, and didn't spare her feelings one bit.

In truth, Yui was not a bad person. She simply demanded to be treated with respect, and because of the need to be respected, she often was callous and rude. But, if she were in public and happened to snap at someone, she would quietly calm down and then approach the person, especially if it were someone in the service buisness and quietly apologize. She knew from experience how hard it was to be in the business of serving others, and too often they got the brunt of everyone's problems.

Last night was a perfect example. She was feeling lonely, and still cared deeply for Youko. So, when she saw him with Kags, she felt the tugs of jealousy and wanted to pull him aside and ask him whe he felt the need to hurt her so badly. But, when he refused, she snapped and took her anger out on Kags, who in turn, attacked her and hit her exactly where she lived. She knew that she was no where in Kag's league, but for it to be pointed out, well, it was humiliating and that humiliation doubled because it had happened in front of Youko.

Biting her lip, Yui made her way over to the phone and picked it up. Perhaps if she called Youko and apologized, he would relay the message to Kags, and she wouldn't come after her. But, she quickly put the phone down and sighed. Youko would not want to hear from her. She had better get used to the idea that she had been used, and he had moved on.

* * *

Hotohori nodded and grinned. He placed the photos of the young men who were wanting to rush the fraternity on the table. Several of the photos were laughed at, and Hiten continously cracked jokes about the young men, causing the laughter to grow.

However, when a door was heard opening, the young men quieted down and all eyes turned in time to see Kagome slowly walking past them and to the kitchen. Bankotsu quickly stood up and moved over to her, and grasped her arm.

"Kagome," He chided, "You should be asleep still. Let me get you something to drink and then you need to go and lie back down."

Kagome's eyebrows lifted and she allowed him to help her into a chair. She glanced over at the other young men, and noticed their shocked expressions. Apparently, Bankotsu's helpful gesture was not a common thing.

Soon, a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of Kagome and she sighed as she took in the aroma. She loved earl gray and eagerly stook in a sip. She glanced up and saw the large grin on Bankotsu's face. Sighing, good manners won out and she mumbled, "Thanks, Bankotsu."

The young man grinned triumphantly over at Sesshomaru and then looked down at Kagome as she took her cell phone out of her purse, which was sitting on the kitchen table. Frowning, she looked at her caller ID and then pushed the buttons for voice mail.

She listened to a couple of calls, but then a slight blush spread across her cheeks. Biting her lip, Kagome turned and began walking to her room. The young men stared at each other with curious expressions, but when Kagome reemerged, she was fully dressed and had an armful of clothing in her arms.

Glancing over at Sesshomaru, she sighed and said, "Thank you for bringing me home safely. Youko said to thank you as well."

Sesshomaru's brows knitted together and he stiffened. "And when did you speak with Youko?" He asked, his tone gruff. Now he knew why Kagome had blushed. Youko called her.

"I spoke with him a moment ago." Kagome replied, as she pawed through her purse for her apartment key. "He is going to be picking me up this evening and we are going out."

"Perhaps you should reconsider, seeing as how he failed to take care of you last night." Came the gruff response.

Kagome's eyes snapped up in surprise but then she shook her head. "It was my fault. I know my limit and I went past it. He didn't force me, and should not be held responsible for me." She explained, sheepishly.

Sesshomaru stood up, and ignored his brother's frantic motions for him to calm down. "Youko had you so drunk that if it had been anyone else, you would have wound up in a stranger's bed, and probably had that precious virginity of yours taken. Be thankful that I took up the responsibility whereas Youko failed. And, you are wrong. When a man, a real man, takes a woman out, she is his responsibility. But, then again, I was raised right, where Youko's upbringing is questionable." He said, glaring down at the young model.

Kagome's face changed colors very quickly. First, she had gone pale, then red with embarrassment, and now, she was pure white with rage. Balling up her fists, she stomped over to Sesshomaru and despite being smaller than him, she tilted her head up and stared him down. "First of all, I have already thanked you for helping me. But, that does not give you the right to say such things to me. Youko is a kind and intelligent man. You know what I think, Sesshomaru? I think that you are jealous of Youko and his success. I think that you know in the modeling world, he is king and you would be a newcomer, a nobody. You want to bad mouth Youko, then why not do it to his face, unless you can't and are only saying these horrible things just because you are jealous of him. If that is the case, then keep your thoughts to yourself."

Sesshomaru's hands clenched at his sides, and he allowed his eyes to narrow. "Jealousy is hardly the issue here. I could have had you, if I wanted you, but I would not stoop so low as to fuck a former fat girl who now has delusions of beauty. The rest of the world may see you as something special, but to me, you are still that fat loser who is simply hiding in a thin body." He sneered.

Now that hit Kagome hard. So, she did the only thing she could do. She allowed her hand to fly right across his face and made sure to put all of her strength behind the blow. The room was silent, except for the sound of Kagome's harsh breathing. "You know," Kagome said, her tone hard. "You have always looked down at Inu Yasha because you have said that he has no manners or class. Well, you have proven to me, today, that everything you have accused him of, you are also guilty of. In fact, you are worse because you hide it underneath a fake air of superiority. At least he is honest about being a jackass, you on the other hand, are an even larger ass than your brother."

Turning on her heel, she stormed to the door and glared at Inu Yasha. "I am coming back for the rest of my belongings, and I don't want him here." She snapped, pointing at Sesshomaru. "I have had enough of his ego to last me for a lifetime. Oh, and I will send Youko your regards, Sesshomaru. Unlike you, he knows how to treat a lady."

Before he could respond, Kagome opened the door and walked out, then slammed it as hard as she could, causing the men in the room to jump at the loud sound.

Bankotsu was the first to recover and began to laugh. He tried to collect himself, but could not seem to contain his mirth, and fat tears streamed down his face and he watched Sesshomaru lift a hand to his injured cheek.

Finally, Bankotsu managed to get a hold of himself and then jeered, "Our little Kagome sure is a spitfire, isn't she, Sesshomaru? Who knew she had such a wicked temper. And here I was, thinking that all she had was sugar and sweetness running through her veins. Thank Kami that I was not the one on the receiving end of that."

Sesshomaru said not one word. He simply rubbed his stinging cheek and allowed his eyes to stray to the door. Damn. In a moment of weakness, he probably blew his entire plan out of the water, just because he was upset that she was going out on a date with Youko. Now, he had to think fast and repair the damage he had done, or else, his opportunity to destroy Youko would pass him by.

Turning on his heel, he walked to the door and opened it, and saw Kagome standing in front of her door, shaking with rage. Closing the door behind him, he calmly walked towards her, and didn't stop, even when her dark eyes cut over to glare at him.

"You stay away from me, you asshole." She snapped, her face wet with angry tears. But, when he didn't stop until he was right beside her. He reached out his hand, and watched as she jerked backwards.

For a couple of moments, nothing was said. Then, he allowed his hand to lower and he sighed. "I was worried for you, last night, and I am concerned that Youko is using you for his own selfish purposes. I allowed my mouth to shoot off, and for what was said, I apologize."

Kagome's eyes widened and for a moment, she thought that she would faint from shock. Sesshomaru Taisho...apologizing? He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen, and his wallet. Pulling one of his father's business cards out, he wrote down a number and then gave it to her.

"I do think that you are very beautiful, and again, apologize for the hurtful words that I said to you. However, I won't change my mind about Youko's motives. My cell phone number is on the back of my father's card, and should he try anything, you may call me and I will come and get you." He said, his golden eyes watchful as he pressed the card into her hand.

Kagome was about to throw the card back at him and tell him to take his apology and shove it up his ass, but the door opened and Miaka poked her head out.

"I thought that I heard voices. And, just where were you last night?" She asked, a large, goofy grin on her face. She looked at Sesshomaru and then allowed her grin to widen when she glanced back at Kagome.

"Nothing happened." Kagome muttered. "I got drunk and he brought me back to Inu Yasha's apartment to sleep it off."

Miaka nodded and watched as Sesshomaru turned to glance over his shoulder. "I must return to the others. Kagome, please call should you need me." He said, and then walked back to the other apartment.

Kagome stormed into the apartment and saw Keiko laying on the couch, moaning. "I don't understand it." Keiko said, her face twisted into a scowl. "She eats like a pig, and I am the one with the stomach ache."

That brought a smile to Kagome's face and she shook her head. Her two girlfriends looked at her expectantly, and so, she sat down and began to tell them what they missed. When she got to the part of her going on a date with Youko, both girls squealed and congratulated her.

But, when it was time to get ready, Kagome walked to her room, and bit her lip. Turning on her heel, she hurried to the door and told the others that she would be back, before slipping out the door and entering Inu Yasha's apartment.

She found all of the brothers sitting together, and they all looked up in surprise when she burst through the door. Bankotsu jumped up and held open his arms. "Baby! Have you missed me so much that you had to come rushing back? Come give me a hug." He said, motioning to her.

Kagome shot him a look of disgust and snapped, "Oh, go hug yourself." She glanced over at Sesshomaru and softly said, "Could I speak to you, alone?"

Sesshomaru nodded and stood. He motioned for her to follow him and glared at Bankotsu when the other man snapped that he had better not touch his woman.

When they were alone, he turned and looked down at Kagome, who was shifting nervously from one foor to the other.

Kagome felt badly. Once she calmed down and reassessed the earlier situation, she had blown things out of porportion and had no right to hit him. He had taken care of her, when she could not, and she treated him badly.

"I'm sorry." She said, her tone rushed. She blushed and lowered her eyes. "I should not have lost my temper and slapped you."

Sesshomaru wanted to smirk. He knew from past experiences that when his brother and Kagome fought, she would feel badly and want to make up quickly. Her conscience simply could not take the guilt, and now, it was working in his favor. But, he kept his composure and he nodded.

"Both of us lost our tempers. Let us move on and forget that this happened. I accept your apology, and hope that you will accept mine." He replied, his long fingers gently grasping her chin.

Nodding, and clearly relieved, Kagome gave him a small smile and was stunned when he leaned forward and gently kissed her on her cheek. "Have fun on your date tonight, and do not hesitate to call me should you need me." He reminded her. "Now, I must return to the fraternity and to our discussion."

Kagome nodded and followed him out of the room. She simply nodded at the other men as she passed by and let herself out. Now that she felt better, she could have a good time on her date.

This was going to be a fun night.


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome nervously watched the clock and jumped when Keiko asked, "What time was he supposed to arrive?"

"He said that he would be here around six." She murmured, her eyes never straying from the clock.

Miaka and Keiko looked at each other and Miaka softly said, "But, it's already seven. Kagome, I don't think he is coming."

Kagome sighed. She gave a slight nod, and said, "Well, I guess we could all go to a movie, or something."

Keiko's face brightened and she nodded. Miaka grinned and began talking about all that she was going to get at the concession stand. Kagome watched as her friends went to go and get ready, and she slowly followed. She could not understand why Youko would ask her out, only to stand her up.

But, her mood quickly lifted after she changed into jeans and a nice shirt. When they were ready to go, Kagome opened the door and led the girls out. Once Miaka locked the door, the three friends laughed and joked as they began walking towards the car.

As they passed by Inu Yasha's door, it opened, and Inu Yasha said, "Oi! I thought you had a date with that pretty boy."

Kagome's face flushed as he was quickly surrounded by his fraternity brothers, all eager to lend a shoulder for Kagome, should she need it. Kagome gave a weak smile and was about to answer, but Miaka cheerfully said, "She changed her mind. We decided to go to the movies and then out to eat." She ignored Keiko's soft groan, and continued. "Besides, if a man can't arrive on time, then he is out of luck."

As much as she loved Miaka, she was going to throttle the big mouth. She really didn't want everyone to know that she had been stood up. Sesshomaru interuppted her thoughts of retribution, and leaned against the door before saying, "Let me guess...he's late."

Kagome gave him a sheepish smile, but then nodded. She was waiting for the 'I told you so' that she was sure that would come from him, but was shocked when he said, "That's just like him. He has a motto that goes, 'If he's late, let them wait.' Don't take it personally."

If Kagome was shocked to hear him try and make her feel better, his brothers were even more so. They stared at the taller man with looks of amazement, and listened as he asked, "So, what movie are you ladies going to go and see?"

Miaka yanked out a newspaper and waved it around. "I want to see that new horror movie, you know, the one about the haunted house that is filled with the vengeful spirits of the children who died there." She said, her tone excited.

Keiko shook her head violently. "No way in hell." She snapped, yanking the paper out of Miaka's hand and glaring at her.

Miaka pouted and said, "Why not? It's supposed to be really good." She watched as Kagome and Keiko exchanged glances and then Keiko said, "Because, Miaka, the last time we went to a horror movie, you got so scared that you ended up jumping into MY lap and buried your face in MY chest. And, let's not forget the fact that you managed to outscream everyone in that damn theater. It's a wonder we were not asked to leave."

The young men laughed, but Sesshomaru kept his eyes upon Kagome. He glanced over at his brothers and then asked, "Would you ladies mind if I joined you? I have not been to the movies in some time, and would enjoy seeing something that has just come out."

Miroku smirked at Kouga. Oh, that one was smooth. Youko screwed up, and now, Sesshomaru was taking full advantage. He listened as Keiko calmly told the man yes, and all of a sudden, the other men were stating that they, too, would like to go.

So, that was how the three girls got several bodyguards, most of them whom glared at other males who were making eyes at the three females. Miaka was in heaven once she got her popcorn, and had smirked at Keiko when the majority of the group voted for the horror movie. She hugged her giant container of popcorn to her, and didn't notice that three sets of eyes were watching her.

Keiko shifted nervously as she realized that the arrogant asshole whom she had words with a few days prior was staring at her. Well, she could play that game, too. Lifting her eyes to the young man, she stared right back at him. Let the game begin.

Kagome stiffled a giggle as she watched Keiko and Yusuke engage in a staring contest. However, when Kuwabara came up being Yusuke and slapped him on the back, Yusuke blinked, and Keiko smirked and said, "I win."

Grumbling, Yusuke glared over at his friend, who paled and backed off slowly. When he turned his gaze towards Keiko again, he narrowed his eyes as he watched some asshole move towards her, a leer upon his face.

He watched as the young man touched Keiko's arm, and heard him say, "How about you and I finding a nice, quiet corner so that we can get to know each other?"

Keiko yanked her arm out of his grasp, and glared up at the man. "How about you crawl back underneath the rock that you slithered out from." She spat.

The man's face twisted into a scowl, and he was about to snap back at her, but stopped when Yusuke approached and threw his arm over Keiko's shoulders.

"What in the hell do you want with my girlfriend, asswipe?" He demanded, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the man before him.

The young man backed away and shook his head after looking Yusuke over from head to toe. Deciding that he didn't wish to get his ass beat, he turned and slunk back over to his friends, who were smirking at him.

Keiko breathed a sigh of relief. She blushed prettily when she realized that Yusuke still had his arm around her shoulders. She was about to say something to him, but Miaka came rushing over, grinned up at Yusuke, and yanked her away. "The movie is about to start. You can sit next to me and Kagome." She said.

Keiko groaned. "Oh goody." She muttered, causing the young men, including Yusuke to laugh.

Soon, the entire group was settled, and Kagome smiled to herself. The movie was actually pretty good. As promised, Miaka made Keiko sit between herself and Kagome. She noticed that Keiko had as of yet to relax, and then noticed that Miaka had a grip on Keiko's hand. Oh, lord. Not again.

She turned her head slightly and looked up at Sesshomaru. He managed to get between her and Bankotsu, and told the young man to back off. Bankotsu grumbled for a few minutes, but after the movie started, he quieted down and watched the movie.

He could feel her eyes upon him. It took all that he had not to turn to face her, but he wanted her to be relaxed with him. If she needed him, all she had to do was call his name.

When a particularly scary part of the movie came on the screen, Sesshomaru winced at all of the screams around him, and noted that Keiko had been right that her friend could outscream everyone else, and realized that Kagome's face was now buried in his shoulder.

A small smile crossed his lips, but he quickly hid it and calmly lifted up the arm rest that was between them and pulled Kagome closer before placing his arm around her shoulders. At first, she stiffened, but as quickly as she stiffened, her body relaxed.

Score two for Sesshomaru, and none for Youko. This was going better than he planned.

"Will you get your damn face out of there?" He heard Keiko hiss, and fought the urge to chuckle. It would seem that Miaka proved the angered girl right.

Hotohori heard Keiko's hiss, and nearly burst out laughing. He, too, lifted the arm rest and gently pulled Miaka away from Keiko before wrapping her up in his arm. He smiled down at her, and gave her a wink. Leaning down, he whispered, "I don't mind if you use me to cuddle on when you are scared. I'll gladly protect you."

Miaka blushed and turned her eyes to the screen. Wow.

Keiko was thankful to the man beside Miaka. Maybe now, she could enjoy the movie. But, she jumped when a pair of hands fell upon her shoulders and began to rub. She looked back and found that it was Yusuke who was rubbing her shoulders, and when he glanced at her, he mouthed, "Turn around." to her.

As the movie progressed, he continued to rubbed the tense muscles in her shoulders and would occasionally move to her neck. It felt wonderful.

Yusuke didn't understand why he was doing what he was doing, but when he heard Keiko's sigh, he grinned and continued. If this was all it took to calm her down and shut her up, he'd rub her raw.

Kagome glanced over at Keiko, and she grinned. Keiko was finally enjoying herself and had Yusuke to thank for that. He'd, in her opinion, make the best boyfriend for her. She felt Sesshomaru shift, and when he did, she gazed up at him.

His golden eyes looked down into hers, and softened. She was, indeed, a beautiful woman. He allowed his hand to move into her hair, and marveled at how soft it was. He watched as she smiled, and heard her whisper, "Sesshomaru." Without thinking, he leaned over and softly kissed her.

Beind the pair, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Shuuichi stared in amazement. Yusuke's hands stilled, causing Keiko to look over to find out why he stopped only to find that one of her two best friends was being kissed by Sesshomaru.

When he broke their kiss, he watched as Kagome brought the tips of her fingers to her lips, and smile. He pulled her even closer, and snuggled her head underneath his chin and narrowed his eyes when he heard Hiei whisper to Shuuichi, "Pay up."

Needless to say, he was feeling particularly victorious.

* * *

Youko cursed and threw his phone down on the seat beside him. This was supposed to be his and Kagome's night, and now, his fucking car decided to act up, and to make matters worse, he could not get any kind of signal on his cell phone so that he could call Kagome.

Thankfully, a passing motorist stopped and drove him to the nearest store, where he called and got a tow truck for that piece of shit car. With all the money that he spent on it, one would think that it would not have problems, but the fates were cruel.

When he finally made it to Kagome's apartment, he knocked on the door, and hoped that she would understand. But, when no one answered the door, he knocked louder.

He heard another door open, and glanced over to see two people step out of another apartment. One of them had his long hair in a braid and over his shoulder. The other one wore makeup, and a dress, but he could tell that it was a guy. The two males looked at each other, and then back at him. Finally, the guy with the dress said in a silky voice, "If you are looking for Kagome, she isn't here."

'Well, no shit.' Youko thought, irritably. He moved over to the pair, and asked, "Do you know when she will be back?"

Jakotsu grinned. "She went to the movies with her roommates, and the brothers of our fraternity. Sesshomaru said that he'd like to see what was playing, and so, that is where they all went." He said, his eyes looking the delicious male before him up and down.

Youko's mind processed the information that it was given and he allowed his fist to curl up. The two males looked at each other and then quietly slipped back into the apartment, leaving the angered man to himself.

Youko's eyes narrowed as the thought of beating Sesshomaru's ass came to his mind. He walked towards the car that he had to rent, but was so angry, he looked up at the night sky and bellowed, "FUCK!"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: It's baby steps, but I am starting back on IY fictions. Please read and review.

* * *

Kagome sighed and waited as Keiko unlocked the door, before following her friends into their apartment. She was tired, and the prospect of slipping between her soft sheets had her rushing through her shower, just so she could finally call an end to the day.

But, try as she might, she found that once in her bed, she could not go to sleep. Instead, she thought about the kiss that Sesshomaru had given to her, and for a moment, she wondered if he had meant to do it.

Sure, he was a good looking guy, but the fact that the only emotions she had ever known him to have were anger and sarcastic, and well... it kind of knocked her off balance.

She knew from past experiences with Inu Yasha, that his older brother was not someone who people messed with. In fact, he had a bad habit of tormenting those he deemed to be beneath him and didn't seem to care just how much pain he caused, just as long as he got what he wanted.

So, she was curious as to what he wanted with her. She doubted that he wanted her for her looks, seeing as how he was probably on the same level as Youko, if not higher.

Frowning up at her dark ceiling, she was also curious as to why Youko stood her up. He had seemed so anxious to go out with her, but when he didn't show, or call, she wondered if perhaps he decided that she wasn't worth his time, after all, and wanted something a bit faster.

Well, there was only one way to find out. Reaching over and turning on her lamp, she reached for her cell phone and dialed Youko's number. However, instead of ringing, it switched to his voicemail and she sighed before hanging up.

She placed her phone down on the night table, and was about to turn her lamp back off, but a soft knock on her door stopped her. Calling for the person to enter, and thinking that it was probably Miaka, wondering if she wanted a late-night snack, she was unconcerned about her appearance and knew that her friend would not make a big deal of her not being clothed.

However, when the door opened and revealed her visitor, her mouth flopped open and a bright-red blush spread across her cheeks.

"Good evening, Kagome." Youko said, a soft smile upon his lips. "You and I need to discuss what happened tonight."

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as his brothers argues over which candidates they would allow to rush their fraternity. After nearly an hour of arguing, Hotohori stood up and calmly said, "If we cannot decide publicly, then we will decide by a secret vote."

Several heads bobbed up and down, agreeing with their president and by the end of the meeting, they had managed to chose which young men they would allow into their coming 'hell week'.

But, once that matter had been decided, the conversation took on a more interesting topic, as Jakotsu and Nuriko reported on seeing Youko arriving at Kagome's apartment and that he was more than a little angry to discover that she was not there.

Smirking, Sesshomaru's chest fluttered as he thought about how angry his rival must have been to discover that Kagome had not sat around, waiting for him to make his appearance. Of course, the other men of the fraternity snickered and Bankotsu sneered, "Well, now he will probably leave my Kagome alone, and if he doesn't, I'll make him."

"Oh, shut up and sit down." Kouga snapped, tired of Bankotsu's grandstanding. "If he had a good enough reason, Kagome will forgive him. She is too nice not to forgive."

Inu Yasha nodded in agreement. "In fact, she will probably feel badly for not being there if she finds out that he had an emergency. It's just not in her nature to hold a grudge." He said, then looked over at Bankotsu. "Well, towards most people."

Naraku leaned back in his seat and took a sip of his wine. He studied Sesshomaru for several minutes before saying, "It seemed that you had a very good time at the movies, Sesshomaru."

Lifting his eyebrow, his golden eyes locked with Naraku's red ones and he calmly said, "What I do is none of anyone's business. Do not meddle in my affairs."

A smirk crossed the dark-haired man's lips as he leaned forward. "Don't you mean to say, your's and Kagome's affairs?" He asked, a sinister glint lighting up his eyes. "Tell me, Sesshomaru, is she a good kisser? Are her lips as soft as they look? Does she use her tongue at the start of the kiss or does she like to take her time and savor the moment?"

The room was deathly quiet as Sesshomaru regarded Naraku silently. Finally, the stoic man shrugged and asked, "Are you upset that what I had with Kagome looked so much better than the one night you had with Kikyo?"

The man before him looked stunned, but it was Inu Yasha's reaction that drew everyone's eyes and attention.

"What in the fuck are you talking about, Sesshomaru?" Inu Yasha demanded, his fists clenched. "What about him and Kikyo?"

Sesshomaru smiled, though it was anything but pleasant. The man before him was caught and it just happened to be pure, dumb luck that he was the one who happened by Naraku and Kikyo two days before, arguing about her denying him when she tried to stop Kagome from going to Club Shikon.

"What I mean, little brother, is that it seems that your girlfriend has decided to test the waters with Naraku while you were at our father's house several weeks ago." Sesshomaru said, his face never showing the glee that he was feeling.

Naraku had to give Sesshomaru credit. The man wasn't one to be messed with, and when someone did mess with him, he fought back and used every single weapon he had. He could learn much from him.

Turning to look at Inu Yasha, he decided that telling a simple half-truth would suffice, at least for now. Let Kikyo deal with the fool's anger. He had other things on his mind.

"Kikyo approached me and asked if I would escort her to Club Shikon, seeing as how I am a member." He said, his tone neutral. "At first, I said no. Then, she told me that the two of you had an agreement that you were seeing other people and that she would really enjoy my company."

The younger man before him was seething, and though it amused him, he would not show it. After all, it took great concentration to pass the blame to another and Inu Yasha didn't need to know that weeks before Kikyo asking him to take her to Club Shikon, he had been trying to get into her panties and had finally worn her down the nigh he took her to the club.

Taking in a deep breath, he continued. "So, we went to the club and danced. I had a few too many drinks, and before too long, I found her hand down my pants. I'm sure that you are smart enough to know what happened from there."

Inu Yasha really wanted to go over at beat the man senseless. However, he knew how Naraku got when he was drunk and that the man never could hold his liquor. Kikyo, however, could. Hell, she could drink him under the table.

Hotohori stood up and glared at Naraku. "I don't care if you were drunk, Naraku. You never should have agreed to take the girlfriend of your brother anywhere." He snapped, his cool demeanor gone. "We have said over and over again that loyalty is the most important aspect of being brothers."

Naraku nodded. "Yes, we have." He agreed. "However, we have also said that if one of our brothers dated a girl, and things did not work out, then it was allowed for another brother to go after the girl, especially if she was a good girl and had high morals. I did not know that Kikyo was not a good girl, and if I had known, I never would have agreed to take her anywhere. Besides, she is part of our sister sorority, and I did not believe that such deceit would come from one of them."

"I do hope that you are not trying to appear the victim, Naraku." Sesshomaru said, his tone curt. "If anyone here is to feel victimized, it would be that ass I call brother."

Inu Yasha was standing quietly, listening to Kouga as he frantically whispered in his ear. Finally, he took in a deep breath and through clenched teeth said, "I do not believe for a moment that Naraku would willingly betray any of us. Though he does have bad judgment, the entire blame lies on Kikyo. She knew that we were not seeing other people, and instead, waited until I left to go after one of my brothers. She also knew that he wasn't very good with liquor and I think that she took total advantage of the situation. I know that my brothers would not betray me."

Hotohori glanced at Inu Yasha and then back at Naraku. Finally, he sighed and sat back down. "Well, if that is how Inu Yasha feels, then I think that Naraku has been properly warned against such actions in the future and will control himself better." He said, shooting the red-eyed man a stern glare. "However, I do believe that we need to rethink this idea of dating another brother's ex-girlfriend."

When Naraku nodded, and Inu Yasha sat down, he sat back in his chair, a feeling of pure contentment rising in his chest. Well, Kikyo was about to get hers for denying him. It served the bitch right and who cared if it was a total lie. Besides, as long as he stayed out of trouble, all was right in the world.

* * *

Kagome quickly dressed and then walked into the living room where Youko was reaching for the cup of tea that Keiko had made him. Miaka was sprawled out in a chair, almost asleep, and her popcorn almost spilling out of the container that was in her lap.

Scowling, Keiko shook her head and walked over to Miaka. Removing the container, she hauled Miaka up and turned to her friend and guest.

"Well, I am going to put sleeping beauty to bed and then I am turning in." She announced and declined Kagome's offer to help. She shook her head at Miaka when Miaka snuggled up against her and murmured, "Oh, Hotohori. You smell divine."

Youko smiled at Kagome's friends and then turned to the girl beside him, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. He quickly finished off his tea, and then stood up, and watched as Kagome lifted her eyes to his face.

"You know, I never did eat dinner." He said and stretched before offering her his hand. "I saw a small cafe a few blocks away and I'm starved. Let's go and get something to eat."

Kagome bit her lip, but then nodded. He waited patiently for her to grab her purse and keys, before following her out of the apartment. He waited as she locked the door, and together, they walked down the stairs to where his rental car was waiting.

Soon, they sat in the small shop, and he quickly ordered a burger and fries, while she ordered a small salad. While they waited for their food, he reached across the table and placed his hands on top of hers.

When he had her complete attention, he said, "I apologize for not being there at the appointed time, Kagome. It seems my car has decided that despite all of the money I paid for it, that it wanted to act up, and broke down on my way to your apartment. And, I did try to call, but I could not get any signal at my location."

Blushing, Kagome looked down at the tabletop and said, "It's alright. I thought that something like that must have happened."

"Right after you wondered if I had stood you up, right?" Youko asked, his tone light. When she gasped and stared up at him, he nodded. "It is alright that you thought that. My reputation is a pretty scandalous one, but please understand, it is mostly embellished. It seems that the young ladies that I do go out with and then decide that there is not a future for us get very angry."

Kagome smiled and sighed. "Well, I'm sorry. I should not have doubted you. I didn't think that you'd go through all the trouble to ask me out just to stand me up." She murmured.

Reaching over, he patted her hand and then quickly changed the subject to the movie that she saw. She chatted away about how Inu Yasha's fraternity had stopped them and Sesshomaru had asked to accompany them to the theater, which then prompted his brothers to do the same.

She didn't notice the darkening of Youko's eyes or the curling up his upper lip at Sesshomaru's name. He listened carefully as she told him about the movie and he laughed when Kagome told him about how Miaka was famous for hiding her face in people's chests when frightened and that Keiko had been her target, once again.

But, he knew that she was leaving something out. In fact, he could almost bet that it had something to do with Sesshomaru and if he knew his old friend, the bastard had probably made a move on her or even kissed her.

However, he would not ask. After all, if Sesshomaru wanted to turn this into a competition for Kagome's hand, then so be it. He would not lose her, especially to someone like Sesshomaru.

It was almost midnight when they returned to Kagome's apartment and he waited as she unlocked the door. When she turned to look up at him, he smiled down at her and then leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I had a very good time, Kagome. Though I would have rather gone dancing tonight, I think that this was just as perfect." He said, as he reached out and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "However, you still owe me a dinner and dancing date, so how do you feel about next Friday?"

Her eyes lit up and he was pleased when she quickly nodded. He pulled her into a warm embrace and smiled into her hair when her arms slipped around his waist to squeeze him back. He was content to stand there for hours, simply holding her, but when she yawned, he sighed and released her, stepping back and give her another smile.

Turning her around, he gently pushed her towards the door and softly said, "Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep with the angels."

Kagome turned and smiled back at him, though he could see that she was exhausted. Reaching forward, he grasped the door knob, and closed it, separating them. He waited to hear the lock slide into place and then turned and began to walk back towards the stairs.

However, it was at that moment that the door opened, and Sesshomaru stepped out of the apartment, along with several of his brothers.

Gold met gold, and finally, Sesshomaru asked, "It's a bit late, isn't it?"

Youko smirked and shook his head. "Not if you are looking for a midnight snack." He replied, and ignored the muttered comments from the fools behind Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. He stepped forward and calmly said, "Kagome is not for you. She deserves someone who won't hurt her once his needs are sated. Leave her be, Youko."

"I never took you for a hypocrite, Sesshomaru." Youko replied, his own eyes narrowing. "I know that you are trying to use Kagome to get to me and it won't work. I won't let you hurt her in your need to 'one up' me."

The two men glared at each other for several minutes and then Youko softly said, "If you hurt her, in your zeal to attack me, I'll crush you and take great pride in doing so. I won't let anyone harm her, physically or emotionally."

Sesshomaru felt his fists curl up and he snapped, "I'm not the one who will hurt her. After all, you are the one with the reputation for breaking hearts and leaving them in the dust once you are through with them. Kagome won't be another notch on your bed post."

Youko's face brightened, and he laughed. "Well, then...I guess you have no reason to worry." He said, his tone cheerful. "I don't intend on bringing Kagome into my bed until after we have a firm relationship established. So, you have nothing to worry about, old friend."

Before Sesshomaru could reply, Youko turned his back and walked down the stairs, whistling a merry tune. When he was gone, the men back into the apartment and Shuuichi softly said, "I don't think that he is lying. I honestly believe that he actually wants her and not just for carnal reasons, either."

"What he wants is of no importance to me." Sesshomaru sneered. "What he is going to get is my wrath if he doesn't back off of Kagome."

Inu Yasha, even though he was still trying to decide how he was going to deal with Kikyo, quietly asked, "Have you fallen for her, Sesshomaru? If you have, then go after her, but if not or you are not sure, then you need to be the one to back away from her. I won't watch her hurt and I won't see her cry. But, if either of you do make her cry, I'll come after both of you and I won't hold back."

"That goes for me, as well." Kouga said, standing beside his best friend. However, both men were shocked when some of their other brothers stood and moved behind them.

Kuwabara had heard enough. It was clear to him that neither man deserved Kagome. She was a gentle woman, except with Bankotsu, and didn't need to have two egos fighting over her.

Yusuke honestly didn't see what the big deal was, but he knew that if Kagome was hurt, then her friend, Keiko, would be hurt, indirectly. Despite their rocky initial meeting, he found himself thinking of the girl and was trying to screw up the nerve to ask her out. So, he would help watch over Kagome, and maybe, just maybe, he would get to know Keiko better and she could see that he really wasn't as big of an asshole as she first thought.

Tamahome stared at the taller man with narrowed eyes. That girl, Miaka, was a curious little thing and she amused him. So, he wouldn't let her friend get into a situation that he knew would be devastating, and he, of course, would let Miaka know that he had helped spare her friend heartache.

Hotohori frowned as Tamahome took up a spot behind Inu Yasha and Kouga. It was clear that Tamahome was only doing this because he was interested in Miaka. But, the memory of her being in his arms quickly brought Hotohori to a decision. He stepped before Inu Yasha and stared at Sesshomaru.

"Let us not forget that we are gentlemen." He said, his tone hard. "Youko is not a threat to you and you will not become a threat to Kagome."

"Of course not." Sesshomaru replied. "However, I am not going to let Youko have his way. Kagome is my top priority and I will not allow her to be harmed, especially not by Youko."

Hiei snorted and glared over at Sesshomaru as he snapped, "Well, that's good to know. Does that mean that you will protect her from yourself, as well?"

Naraku watched the entire scene with curious eyes and then smirked. So, Sesshomaru thought himself better than Youko, and even Naraku himself, and thought to tear the young model away from his rival. Perhaps, Youko would be willing to accept some aide, especially if it was coming from the inside of Sesshomaru's inner circle.

* * *

Kikyo stared at her cell phone and frowned. She had tried to call Inu Yasha several times, yet none of her calls had been answered or returned. That was highly unusual.

Sango sighed and looked over at Kikyo, who looked very upset. Hell, she was still hurt by Miroku breaking up with her, though she could now see his point of view. However, she knew enough about Kikyo to know that the woman wouldn't want her words of comfort. She just wanted to hear her boyfriend's voice.

Biting her lip, Kikyo dialed Inu Yasha's number one final time before she went to bed and prayed that he would answer.

To her surprise, the line was picked up and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, it's me." She said, a bright smile upon her lips. "I've been calling you all night. Where have you been?"

At first, he didn't answer. She grew concerned for him, mainly because it was not Inu Yasha's nature to be so quiet. Finally, he said, "Well, I wasn't at Club Shikon with one of your sisters and fucking her."

All color drained from Kikyo's face and she sucked in a harsh breath. But, before she could reply, he said, "I never took you for a whore, Kikyo. I know that Naraku is a whore, when drunk, but I never thought that you were one, too."

"I-Inu Yasha, I don't know what you are talking about." Kikyo replied, her tone soft. "I swear that I have not done anything with Naraku."

Inu Yasha's laugh was cold and harsh. "Save it." He snapped, his tone curt. "Sesshomaru overheard you and Naraku a couple of days ago. Well, you don't have to worry about remaining faithful to me, anymore. As far as I am concerned, you are a free woman and can fuck as you please. Good night, Kikyo."

The line went dead before she could reply and when she lowered the phone from her ear, she dropped her phone in her lap and lifted her hands to her face. She felt her bed dip as Sango came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her, holding her as she cried.

Sango felt badly for Kikyo. The only reason why she even went along with Naraku was because the asshole told her that if she didn't meet up with him, he would tell everyone that her father was being investigated for embezzlement. Kikyo knew that if she didn't go along with Naraku, then her life at the college would be over and all she would have left is a life filled with shame as her father's crime was brought to light for everyone to see.

Not even Kagome knew just how deep Kikyo's father's crimes ran, but Naraku did. In fact, Sango suspected that it was Naraku who set the police after her father, just so he could hold Kikyo hostage with the knowledge.

As the young woman cried into her hands, Sango made up her mind to go and speak with Miroku. He would listen. He had to. If not, she had a feeling that Kikyo's future at the college would be over before the new semester began.

Kami help them if Kagura and Yura found out.


End file.
